Erasing Everything and Rewriting It
by Ivee Waterlilly
Summary: After falling through a window Robin had never expected to find a certain happy family in Crime Alley. His heroic instincts are his downfall, however, and his world changes instantly. No team, no Batman, and no Batcave to hide in. *revised*
1. Through the Window

Bear with me guys, this is going to get a little complicated and a bit angsty. Also, just a warning, but you won't see too much of the Young Justice team until later on. I was tempted to put this in the crossover section, but decided not to in the end.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters written or the world they belong to.

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><p>Robin cringed as Batman snarled at him. The harsh words coming out of his mentor's mouth hit him hard; each one causing his chest to squeeze in agony. His teammates stood warily around them. Superboy had been supporting him, one arm around his waist to keep him steady.<p>

"You killed someone tonight. You're just as bad as they are!" Batman roared.

"Hey!" Superboy growled back, removing his arm and standing protectively in front of him.

"I _never_ should have taken you on as my partner!"

Robin stood still, eyes wide with hurt. Never should have… Batman was right. He killed someone. Let them fall to their deaths just like…

He couldn't breathe. His chest hurt.

It hurt.

"Robin?"

Who was talking? Something bubbled up inside of him and he turned and ran. He couldn't see and it hurt. It hurt so much.

"_Robin!"_

He didn't feel the arms that caught him, didn't hear the voices screaming his name, and didn't see the worry and panic on his teammates' faces. He couldn't breathe. Robin's vision came back in time to see a window and darkness far too deep to simply be the night. Rough arms holding him threw him through the glass of the window, shards cutting his face and chest.

It hurt.

Looking back up at the window, he realized he was falling further away and the window was disappearing. His body turned in circles, weightless as he fell deeper into the dark. Disorientation made him feel sick, his head throbbed, and the tiny window of light above him was swallowed up in darkness.

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><p>With a few lazy blinks Robin found himself staring at a happy family walking together down the streets. As if breaking from a trance, he shook his head and tried to gain a grasp of his surroundings. He didn't have much time to gain his bearings; a scream brought his attention back to the happy family. A man with a gun was threatening them. The father slowly pushed his son behind his larger body protectively.<p>

Robin's body moved on instinct. He descended upon the would-be mugger, knocking him back and away from the family with a well placed kicked to the chest. A shot was fired, ripping into the flesh of his shoulder. Stifling a cry of pain, Robin instead reached for a birdarang. Before Robin could throw it, he noticed the mugger had switched targets. Diving in front of the kid, another bullet hit his body. The Kevlar suit protected him from the bullet puncturing skin, but he could feel his ribs break.

Underneath him he felt the child tremble.

"Bruce!" the kid's mother screamed.

Robin blinked. Bruce? Another shot was fired while Robin was distracted and he felt it puncture his left leg. Cursing, he twisted around, birdarang striking the hand of his attacker. A cry of pain erupted from his enemy and the clatter of the gun being dropped echoed through the street. Footsteps getting fainter told him the man had fled from the scene. He rolled off of the kid and onto his back on the cold, dirty pavement, hissing in pain when large hands hurried to cover his wounds.

"Kid, you okay? Oh god, we need an ambulance!" The man he'd just saved applied more pressure to his leg. "I think it hit your artery. Shit!"

"Bruce, you stay here with your father. I'll go find us help." The lady kissed the boy after making sure he was unharmed.

"Be careful!" The man called. "That guy might still be out there!"

"I will!"

Robin focused on his breathing. It hurt. His shoulder burned and his leg felt like it was ripping itself apart. If this man was right—if the bullet had struck his artery he'd be dead within minutes. Breathe Robin. Breathe.

"Hang in there kid, help is coming." The man whispered to him.

"Thanks." A small voice whispered next to him. Robin was startled when he felt hands a little smaller than his grasp his. "You didn't have to—why'd you save us?"

Robin struggled with what to say. "It's my job."

"Your job?" The man frowned down at him. "You're brave kid, I'll give you that, but it shouldn't be a kid's job to save people."

Robin didn't fail to see that worry etched into the man's face. From the lightheadedness sweeping over him, he could only guess that the man's assumption was right. He was bleeding out.

"What's your name?" Robin asked, trying to distract both himself and this family he'd saved.

"I'm Thomas Wayne. This is my son Bruce."

Dick's eyes widened. "Bruce…"

The smaller hands tightened around his own, a desperate attempt to encourage to keep hold on his life. "What's your name?"

Dick couldn't believe it. He'd just saved Bruce Wayne. He just saved Batman. His thoughts brought him back to when Alfred had briefly told the tragic story of how Bruce became Batman. His parents had been killed by a mugger. He was never caught.

"_I __**never**__ should have taken you on as my partner!"_

The words rang in his ears and his chest throbbed. Robin's eyes stung and he tried to hold back the tears. Batman—Bruce had never said anything like that to him before.

"Kid?" Thomas Wayne pressed harder, nearly panicking when he noticed Robin didn't seem to feel it.

"My name… it's Robin." He choked out. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to think.

A realization came to him as his vision started to blur. If he'd just saved Bruce's family, Bruce wouldn't become Batman. Bruce was going to grow up happy. In a way, hadn't Robin repented of his sin?

"_You're just as bad as they are!"_

But he'd saved people. It wasn't… he didn't mean to let that henchman fall. He didn't mean it. It hurt.

"Robin?"

"Kid, can you hear me? Just hang on!"

"_Robin!"_

Was he a hero now? Would Batman forgive him now that he'd saved his parents? No. Robin thought bitterly. By saving Bruce's happiness, he'd killed Batman. He'd done what the Joker could not. But it was better this way, better for Bruce. Bruce could be happy. Bruce had a family now.

Robin didn't notice that he'd stopped breathing. Neither did he realize that he couldn't see anymore.


	2. Momentos and Decisions

Thank you CuzILuvChicken12 and Witch08 for your reviews! I got so excited about it that I'm going to post the next chapter.

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><p>Bruce refused to come out of his room. He sat on his bed, running his hands along the different grooves of the golden belt Robin had been wearing. The boy hadn't survived. Bruce and his father watched him bleed out, breathing his last and remaining silent. Even as the paramedics tried to take the body, Bruce still held his hand tightly, hoping he'd squeeze back. His mother had to carefully pull him away, tucking him under her arms like a mother bird to her young, shielding him from the horrors he had just faced.<p>

The police received the necessary information from his father and mother, leaving him to watch the still body. Bruce didn't understand why the boy was wearing such a strange outfit. It was odd, but it was cool. He looked like a real hero. He'd certainly died as one.

No one could identify the boy, even with the mask having been removed, revealing lifeless blue eyes staring up into heavens. There were no children in all of Gotham named Robin. Bruce refused to let Robin's body be taken away to be buried in some random cemetery.

"He saved us." He whispered, though his parents and the police heard him loud and clear in the reverent silence of the tragedy. "He saved us, and we should be the ones to bury him."

The decision was made; the boy named Robin was buried on the grounds of the Wayne Manor. Bruce insisted he be clothed in his "hero" garb, although he removed the belt. It wasn't a souvenir, it was a memento.

Someone knocked on his door and Bruce was tempted to hide the belt. He didn't answer and continued running his hands over the small grooves. Alfred entered, bringing a tray of scones with him. Gently setting down the tray, the butler sat himself down on the end of the bed. Bruce didn't even so much as look at him.

"Young master Bruce," Alfred said softly, "that boy did not give up his life for you to take it yourself. His sacrifice should be honored. If you starve yourself, it will cause him a grief not known to any living thing."

Bruce ignored him, solely focused on the belt. He felt a strange connection with this boy. He couldn't quite explain it, but his death was hitting him far greater than it should have. He'd only known the boy for five minutes. Granted the boy saved his life and died in front of him, but Bruce shouldn't have been so hyper focused on this.

"Young master Bruce," Alfred tried again, "what are you thinking about?"

Bruce bit his cheek. He wondered if he should confide in Alfred. Alfred always knew what to do and say. Drawing in a shaky breath, Bruce spilled everything. He told Alfred about his fears, about his guilt, about his grief and depression. He told Alfred of the strange connection he felt and how he hadn't done the boy enough justice. His killer was still out there and what could Bruce do? He was only a child, but Robin had been just a child—what should he do?

"Young master Bruce, I believe that boy saw something in you that day. If he truly was a hero, then I think it best you aim to become the best you can be in order to honor his sacrifice."

"Alfred?" Bruce whispered, clutching the belt to his chest. "Do you think I could be a hero someday?"

Alfred smiled warmly at him and stood up. "Not unless you eat every scone on that tray. A hero cannot be a hero if he is starving to death."

Bruce managed a small smile and reached for one of the scones. "Hey Alfred?"

"Yes?"

"Don't tell father?"

"Not a word."

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><p>Robin woke from another trance to realize he was in the streets again. He felt disoriented and sick. After fighting off the nausea, he attempted to regain his bearings. It was as if time was replaying itself, and once again Dick found himself in the very same alleyway. There was no Bruce and his family being threatened, however. He was alone in the familiar Crime Alley.<p>

Robin frowned and after he was sure the world would stay still instead of spinning like earlier, he climbed up a nearby fire escape, flipping onto a roof. There was a stray newspaper and after snatching it up and thumbing through the pages, Robin was sent reeling.

The date on the newspaper was seven years into the future. He should have been twenty. How had he slipped through time? What was he supposed to do now? Should he attempt to make contact with Bruce?

Bruce…

Memories flowed through him. He had been there in that alleyway and saved the Wayne family from tragedy. He'd been shot. Looking down at his leg, he found a hole, but no wound. Somehow he was alive. Looking over the edge of the building and back at the alley, a ghostly image of a man sprawled across the floor, limbs at awkward angles and blood pooling across the cobblestone.

Immediately backing away from the edge and away from the image, Robin struggled to breathe. He felt sick and retched off to the side. No one came up to get him. He stayed curled up in a corner on the roof muttering to himself and trying to remove the images from his mind for over four hours. The tears never stopped and by the time Dick composed himself, a sickening realization occurred.

There was no Batman anymore.

If there was no Batman, there was no Robin. Yet, it was seven years into the future and Dick had no clue where his future self was or what he was doing. Perhaps if he had really been thrown through time, he was lost and there was no Richard Grayson in the future until he arrived.

If that was the case, what was he supposed to do? Grief filled him. Without a Batman, Richard Grayson had no savior, no one to take him in. For all he knew, he—the one from this time continuum—could have been adopted by someone and moved far from Gotham long ago.

Struggling with what to do, Dick decided there was really only one thing he could do. He would have to abandon being Richard Grayson until he figured out more of what was going on and instead become Robin permanently.

Self doubt coursed through him. Was he strong enough to do this by himself? He had always worked as a team, either with Batman or Young justice. He'd never been a solo vigilante before.

"_I __**never**__ should have taken you on as a partner!"_

Robin flinched. Batman got his wish. Batman didn't exist to have a partner, so Robin would go solo. He would do everything he could to keep Gotham in the order it was in under the hands of Batman. Reaching for his grappling hook, Robin found it missing. He was missing his utility belt—tears stung his eyes again. No Bruce, no Batman, no utility belt. Shaking away his grief, and forcing thoughts of how happy Bruce must be at that very moment, Robin flipped off of the roof and stuck to his aerial tricks. He could survive, but he was seriously crippled without his utility belt.


	3. Meetings

Your reviews make me so very happy! I hope I don't lose any of you on this sort of bumpy emotional rollercoaster.

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><p>Bruce smiled and waved to the citizens of Gotham. With the grand opening of Wayne Tech, the city would be changed for the better. Bruce always carried the belt with him, hidden in his suit. Unconsciously he gripped it. It was a comfort to think of the brave boy who'd saved his life. Whatever came of Wayne Tech, Bruce would utilize it; harness it to become good and even potentially develop it to become a hero himself. That was the end goal.<p>

A hint of red and black caught his attention. There, back behind the crowd of citizens was a boy dressed in a black and red suit covered by a black and yellow cape. Bruce's hand dropped as quickly as his smile and he stared wide eyed at the boy. The boy stared back, emotions partially concealed by the black mask adorning his face.

In a flash the boy was running, disappearing around the corner of an alleyway nearby. Bruce took off after him, struggling to get through the crowd of confused people and the paparazzi. Once free, he followed the boy's trail into the alleyway.

"Robin?" He called hesitantly.

There was no answer; the boy was gone. Cursing, Bruce ran around the corner of the alley, figuring he must have rounded the corner. He had lost time in pausing, and the boy was most likely going to lose him. It was an hour before he gave up after no trace of the boy was found. He was picked up by Alfred shortly after and only when in the car did he take out his most prized possession—the golden belt.

"What happened, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, keeping his eyes on the road, but not failing to notice exactly what Bruce was doing.

"I saw him today Alfred."

"Saw who?"

"Robin." Bruce answered. "He looked exactly the same… He ran away from me."

"Impossible." Alfred gripped the steering wheel harder. "It could not have been him."

"I know; but I swear it was him!"

"Master Bruce…"

"It was him Alfred, I'm sure of it."

Alfred sighed. "You are sure?"

"Yes." Bruce frowned. "We're going to have to check it, Alfred."

Alfred abruptly pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the car. Turning to his employer, Alfred stared him right in the eye.

"Master Bruce, you would be willing to desecrate that boy's grave in order to solidify his death? He is dead, you are a witness. Pray tell, what do you expect to find?"

Bruce had rarely seen Alfred so upset. Holding up the belt, he faced his caretaker.

"Nothing."

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><p>Dick pulled his knees up closer to his chest. Loneliness clawed at him; the three days he'd been on the streets were awful. He was cold and tired, but refused himself more than two hours of sleep at a time. There was nowhere to shelter him from any criminal, not to mention a lurking Joker or Two Face. It was dangerous to be on the streets of Gotham.<p>

He couldn't stay still any longer and wandered around town in the shadows. A commotion caught his attention. Coming out into the light, but staying far enough away from people to worry about being hassled about his costume, (Gotham had never known a superhero, after all) he observed.

A familiar voice was speaking, but not familiar enough to put a name to the face. Beside the man speaking was another man. This man was tall, well built, but still lean. His hair was perfectly in order and a pearly white smile was directed at the crowd. Then suddenly the man wasn't smiling anymore.

Dick found himself staring into the eyes of Bruce Wayne. The man looked shocked to see him, and for a minute he wondered if it had all been a dream. The minute was over and logic took full control. Bruce would never look shocked to see him.

He turned and ran.

It hurt to look at him. It hurt to see him knowing he couldn't touch him or talk to him. He still wasn't sure what exactly had happened, but Batman's words still rang true in his head. Constantly Robin felt sick with himself. Memories of that night filled his head and he felt lonelier than before.

He scampered up onto a rooftop and pressed his back against the raised edge. He calmed his breathing and focused on pushing negative emotions away from him.

"Robin?" He heard Bruce call.

He froze, allowing himself to look over the edge of the roof. Bruce was almost desperate looking, wandering around the alley down below. It was so tempting. He was so lonely, so tired. He longed to see Alfred again. Alfred would know what to do. Alfred always knew what to do.

Mentally, he beat himself up. He wasn't weak; he was strong and could do this by himself. He was the one who made the choice. He saved Bruce and killed Batman. This was better for both of them. Or rather, better for Bruce. He didn't like feeling lonely.

Robin's eyes widened and a small smile broke out on his face. Bruce had saved him long ago, and even though Robin had saved him back, Dick didn't feel as if his job was complete. He was lonely, but would he feel lonely if he watched over Bruce all of the time? He could see Alfred and pretend to be there with them. He could imagine and remember, and that would make him less lonely.

Right?

Robin went on the hunt for the former Batman and stalked him to his car. From there it was easy to see they were headed back to Wayne Manor. Robin wasn't expecting for Alfred to pull over. Was he caught? He quickly dove into an alley, or rather tried to. He ran into someone and the two of them tumbled down onto the hard asphalt.

"Sorry!" Robin jumped up and went to help up the woman he'd just knocked down.

"I'm fine. Just be careful next time."

She looked up at him and Robin quickly retracted his outstretched hand.

"Babs…"

Instead of the sixteen year old girl he was used to seeing, here was a woman, a strikingly beautiful one, her long red hair slightly duller than he was used to. This was the Barbara Gordon of the future. She was still taller than him, but didn't dwarf him.

She looked confused, but took his hand anyways. "How do you know my name? Have we met somewhere? What's with the getup?"

Robin backed off. No Batman, no Batgirl. He and Babs weren't friends this time. She was normal, hanging with friends and keeping out of trouble. Her life didn't consist of worrying about when the Joker would strike or impressing Batman. Her life wasn't in any danger. It was better this way, right?

"Kid? You okay?"

Robin took a step back. "Sorry!"

He ran. She called out after him, but he never looked back. He felt so lonely, so out of place.


	4. Babs

You guys are so awesome! I love hearing all of your predictions and questions. I've decided that I'll be updating twice a day, as I've got about a third of the story written. Your reviews inspire me to write more, so keep reviewing! Hope you enjoy! Also, please point out any grammatical mistakes if you catch them. I'm a bit of a comma whore, and while I do proof read before I post these, I know that I miss things.

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><p>It had been over twenty years since Bruce had seen Robin. Had the memory not been ingrained in his head and nearly traumatized him, he wouldn't have given the boy he'd seen a second thought. A soft thunk informed him that his shovel had hit the expensive casket Bruce had picked out himself. Giving one last glance up at the headstone, he read what he'd already memorized.<p>

_**Robin**_

_**A true hero in which we are grateful.**_

There were no dates. They didn't know when the boy was born, and Bruce didn't want just a death date on it. Swallowing back painful memories, he gently opened the casket.

There was nothing.

Bruce fell to his knees in the mud of the grave. He stared at the empty casket. It wasn't possible. He'd seen him—felt him die. Bruce allowed the tears stinging his eyes to roll down his cheeks. He wasn't sure what it was he felt. He was laughing and crying at the same time and clutching the black casket as hard as he could.

Robin was gone. His savior all those years ago was never there to begin with. All those hours spent pouring over his grave, apologizing for needing his protection asking for forgiveness… it was all to an empty casket.

Robin hadn't heard him.

Robin was alive.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred asked shakily, hearing the door to the grounds open. Truthfully, he hadn't wanted to know; but he turned around anyways, shocked at what he saw. "Dear heavens!"

Bruce was covered in mud, a wavering smile on his face. Whether it was the rain or tears streaming down his cheeks, Alfred couldn't have guessed at that moment. He immediately went to fetch a towel, but Bruce stopped him in his tracks.

"Alfred," Bruce said, "it was empty."

The air turned chilly and for a few moments there was only the sound the clock ticking. The sound echoed in the manor, louder than the increased heart rate beating wildly in Alfred's chest.

"That isn't possible!"

"Check for yourself if you need to."

Alfred watched him carefully as he pulled out the belt and ran a thumb over it softly. The familiar site did nothing to ease Alfred's concern. Bruce's smile was growing, but Alfred caught the slight wavering of his bottom lip.

"Alfred, he's alive."

Insane, was Alfred's first thought. Bruce was insane and obsessed over the fallen hero; but something just didn't feel right. Alfred left, returning moments later with a dry towel. Bruce let him dry him off, never taking his eyes off of the belt in his hands.

"All this time I was talking to him, he was never there Alfred. I don't know how or why, but he's out there. I saw him today."

Once dry, Bruce hugged his butler. Alfred hesitantly hugged back, watching his employer leave the kitchen and head off to the lounge. Once he was sure Bruce was gone, he grabbed an umbrella and made his way out the door.

The mist from earlier had thickened to a sprinkle and the cold weather made it quite uncomfortable to be outside. Hesitantly, he made his way to where Robin had been buried. To his shock and dismay, the grave had been dug up, and as Bruce had said, there was no body within the beautiful casket.

Had Bruce put it somewhere? No. He knew the man his whole life, and never had he shown signs of mental instability. What would he have done with the bones of a child? No. There was something bigger at work here. Perhaps the child really was running around. Alfred could only pray this wouldn't end in tragedy once more.

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><p>It had been three days since the incident with Barbara. He'd been tailing Bruce around town ever since, keeping a watchful eye on his former father figure. He could tell Bruce was keeping a watchful eye for him as well. He hid well, covering himself within the shadows. But while he was an acrobat, without his utility belt, he was limited on how quickly he could escape in certain areas.<p>

Bruce was at another charity event. Dick used to absolutely hate going to those; being forced to dress up and smile nonstop at those prying and invasive reporters. They never tired of bothering him and prodding him for information on "Gotham's Hottie". It was sickening.

Now he only wished he could go again. His stomach growled and squeezed painfully from within his abdomen. He hadn't eaten in at least two days. His blue eyes from underneath his mask spotted the tables of appetizers and he bit his lip.

Should he risk it?

He needed the energy. He refused to steal, and this wasn't stealing. These treats were out for those attending the event. It was a public event. The problem wasn't the others at the event, it was Bruce. He couldn't risk being caught. Bruce would ask questions and Robin wasn't sure he could handle the heartbreak. It was already hard enough to just watch the man, longing to laugh with him again.

Another growl from his stomach prompted him, and he went for it. He waited until Bruce was answering questions from a reporter. He was thoroughly distracted and Robin felt he had the chance. He grabbed what he could without being noticed and ducked out.

"Mr. Wayne, wait!"

Shit. He'd been seen.

"Mr. Wayne? Where are you going?"

Robin focused only on escaping, ducking into alleyways in between streets and listening for the heavy footsteps behind him. Once he was sure he'd lost Bruce, he sat down and looked guiltily at the food. He sure felt like he'd been stealing. It didn't feel right to eat it anymore.

Then suddenly there were footsteps, quieter, but coming his direction. He scrambled to his feet, trying to ignore the wave of dizziness that came from lack of energy and standing too quickly. Around the corner came Bruce Wayne. Like a cornered animal, Robin backed up, abandoning the food now spread all over the floor of the alley.

"Robin…"

There was something in his voice that tempted Robin to stay. He reminded himself that this wasn't the same Bruce he knew. This was Bruce Wayne, unaffected by the tragedies of crime. He couldn't compromise Bruce's happiness by a moment of weakness. He had to stay away.

"You're alive… but how?"

Robin didn't answer. He didn't want to answer. He wanted to disappear. It was starting to hurt. His heart beat wildly in his chest and he took another few steps backwards.

"Wait! Don't go! Please, not after I just found you again."

It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.

Robin shook his head and found his way out through a fire escape. He gave one last look at Bruce before flipping his way onto it and quickly slipping up and onto the roof of the building.

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><p>That evening Robin found himself curled up on the same rooftop. It was getting colder—most likely November in Gotham. He had lost track of time as of late. Then there was screaming. It was loud and desperate. Instantly Robin was on alert.<p>

Batman wasn't real anymore, but that didn't mean Robin was off duty. Robin jumped rooftops until he found the source of the screaming. He saw a man hovered over a trembling woman. She was screaming desperately for the man to stop. She was being raped.

Instantly Robin jumped off of his rooftop, landing on the man and rolling off and away from him. He ran to the woman, taking in her ripped shirt and undone jeans. She had red hair and—Robin took a couple of steps back. It was Barbara. In his rage, he turned back to the groaning man, fists clenched and teeth gnashing together.

His pulled his fist back and crashed it into the man's jaw, satisfied with the crack he heard. He was on top of the man, throwing punch after punch.

"Don't you ever touch Babs!" He cried.

The man didn't get a chance to fight back. Robin backed off after blood coated most of the man's face. Panting for breath after his outburst, he turned back to Barbara. She looked at him in a mix of shock and horror.

It hurt.

Turning back to the man, it was suddenly not the rapist. It was a man in uniform. He was lying broken on the ground and Robin was on top of the skyscraper. His breathing started to grow heavy and he stumbled back and away from the man. He was starting to get dizzy again.

"What was…? Who _are_ you?" Barbara asked, her arms covering her near naked chest. Tear tracks stained her cheeks, most likely from the attack. "You're the kid from before. Are you stalking me?"

Suddenly she looked more frightened of him and angry. She shakily grabbed at a purse Robin hadn't even realized was there. Inside was a gun and it was now being aimed at him. This was wrong. Babs didn't carry a gun. None of them did.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked before he could even think about it. "I got him, so it should be okay."

"Answer me!" She screamed back at him.

Robin just stood there. For a moment neither of them moved. Barbara narrowed her eyes and lowered her gun, but immediately aimed at him again once he tried to take a step towards her.

"Don't move!" She warned. "I don't know who you are, but you just stay away from me!"

It felt as if she really had shot him. It hurt to hear one of his friends—a close friend—talk to him as if he was the one who'd been on top of her just moments before.

Robin did as she asked, backing up a few steps and crouching down. He stayed still and just watched her aim the gun at him for a while. Shakily, she pulled out her cell phone. Robin listened to her relay some information and once she was done, she lowered her weapon once more.

"Are you even going to say something?" She snapped at him. "You just come out of nowhere, like a superhero or something, and won't answer any of my questions. It's creepy."

Robin allowed himself a small smile. "I saved you."

"Thanks." She said slowly after a moment. "I suppose I at least owe you that."

Robin didn't say anything more. She must have found it unnerving, because she started talking again.

"What's your name, kid?"

It hurt.

"Where are you from?"

It hurt.

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen." He answered.

"Thirteen? You're thirteen and playing hero? Kid, this is Gotham. It's dangerous!"

It hurt.

"I know. That's why I'm doing it."

"You get a rush from danger or something?" Babs glared at him. "Go home."

That hurt more. "I'm not playing, I'm protecting."

He felt so small, having to answer to Barbara this way. He was being scolded for saving lives. It wasn't fair. Robin had never felt this way before.

"Barbara!"

Both turned their heads to see Commissioner Gordon rush to his daughter. Robin supposed now was the time to leave. He'd done well; he protected Babs. He would have to protect her too. Protect both Bruce and Babs. He could pretend to laugh with them both.

"Dad, I'm okay." Babs turned to him as he stood up. "He saved me."

"I don't believe this…" Commissioner Gordon took a hesitant step toward him, and Robin took one step back. "Robin?"

How did he know? He wasn't going to stick around to find out. He turned on his heels and ran, content with the lack of footsteps following him. This wasn't going how he wanted. He would have to treat Babs the same as he treated Bruce from now on. He would hide, protect them from the shadows.

It was a shame. He could have used a friend, someone to talk to.


	5. Scones

Seriously, I blush with all of your compliments. You all are so, so sweet! I'm happy you guys are all for me updating twice a day. It should be a long story-I think maybe over 30 chapters. But at the same time, these chapters aren't as long as others, so it makes me feel like it's short...

Uh, enough bumbling from me.

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><p>Bruce hurriedly rapped on the door. The time between his knocking and the opening was nearly nonexistent. Commissioner Gordon eagerly nodded him inside. A muttered thanks, and Bruce was sitting down in a chair next to Barbara Gordon.<p>

"Dad, what's going on? Who was that kid?"

"That kid, Barbara," Jim started, "is supposed to be dead."

She was obviously confused. "I don't understand."

"The boy you saw tonight was the same boy who saved me and my parents nearly thirty years ago. He died protecting me." Bruce explained before he stood and ran a hand through his dark hair.

Barbara stared at him. "How is that even possible? That kid told me he was only thirteen years old!"

"He spoke to you?" Bruce was instantly on his knees in front of her, gripping her shoulders lightly. "What did he say? Tell me everything you know."

"He didn't say very much." Barbara tried to remember everything. "He didn't answer most of my questions. But I guess he was scared, I mean, I pointed my gun at him. _I_ was scared. After that guy…"

"It's okay, Barbara." Jim pulled Bruce back away from her. "Take your time."

Bruce guiltily looked away from her. He had forgotten that just a little over an hour ago, she was about to be raped. Yet somehow Robin had saved her. The child had saved someone again, despite how small and frail he was. He wasn't dead, though. This time he hadn't taken a couple of bullets.

"I thought he was crazy. He asked me if I was alright… and the only other question he answered was about his age." Barbara thought for a moment. "He knew my name Dad. He called me Babs. I met him before, once. We ran into each other, but he ran off."

"Anything else? Anything at all?" Bruce gripped the golden belt in his pocket. Carefully, he pulled it out, once again tracing the grooves with his fingers. It had become therapeutic over time. "I need to find him."

"Is that…?" Jim peered closely at the belt, squinting past his thick glasses. "It was his, wasn't it?"

"I remember!" Barbara stood up, suddenly. "I told him it was dangerous, that he should stop playing around! But he said he wasn't playing. He said he was protecting. Like he was some sort of…"

"Hero." Bruce finished. "Thank you. Where did you say you saw him?"

"In an alley near 2nd."

"Got it."

"Bruce?" Jim asked. "What are you going to do once you find him?"

"I'm going to thank him." Bruce smiled. "Then I'm going to feed him. When I saw him earlier today, he was taking food from the charity event I was at. I don't think he's living anywhere, Jim. He keeps running away from me. I don't know why, but he just looks so scared."

"He didn't look scared at all when I started to talk to him." Barbara said. "He looked so concerned and caring… I want to apologize to him."

"I can only pray we find him before someone else does." Bruce clutched the belt harder. "I don't want to see him hurt again."

* * *

><p>Two weeks had passed since he saved Babs. He was exhausted, only getting a few hours of sleep a night. He was constantly on patrol, but extremely disturbed at the lack of villains in Gotham. There was no Joker, no Clayface, and no Penguin. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.<p>

He made the mistake of not watching where he was going. He was too engrossed in his thoughts to realize he'd run into a very large black limousine. It set the car alarm off and he nearly had a panic attack. A very familiar face stepped out of the car, turning off the alarm in the process.

Dick spoke without thinking. "Alfred."

"Oh heavens, it is you." Alfred stared at him for a minute, and Dick had to hold himself back from leaping into the old man's arms and crying his eyes out. He was so tired of running all of the time. "You are the young man who saved the Wayne's all of those years ago, aren't you?"

Robin numbly nodded. Alfred was here. He could trust Alfred. It wouldn't ruin Alfred's happiness if he hugged him, would it? No, it wouldn't ruin Alfred's happiness, but it would ruin Bruce's happiness. Alfred would tell Bruce. Bruce was always looking for him.

"You do not look well. Would you like something to eat?"

Robin nodded again. Alfred was always so kind, so generous. It would be fine if he allowed himself to eat. Alfred wouldn't tell on him, would he?

"Don't," Dick swallowed, "tell Bruce, okay? Don't tell him I'm here."

"Come, sit inside and I'll give you something to eat. I promise not to say anything."

Dick blinked back the tears and obeyed. He missed being on the inside, with Alfred in the driver's seat and him in the back, making jokes and complaining about something Bruce had done earlier in the day. He was rewarded with scones. Alfred had always made scones whenever he was feeling down.

"Thank you." Dick said weakly. "I've missed these."

Alfred gave him a strange look, but didn't say anything. "If I may ask, why are you avoiding Master Bruce?"

Dick hesitated. Alfred had already given his word. "I'm protecting him."

"Protecting him from what?"

"Me." Dick answered sullenly. "I'll make him unhappy if he catches me. So I have to run so he'll stay happy."

"If I may say, Master Robin," Dick started at the name, reminding him he was no longer Master Dick, as he once was, "he has been waiting to tell you something for a very long time. It is not only Master Bruce. I have also been waiting to tell you something."

Dick stared at him. Alfred wanted to tell him something? What could Alfred have been waiting to say? How did Alfred even know him? He had only saved Bruce and his parents, right? Alfred hadn't been there.

"Thank you." Alfred said quietly. "Without you, I am so very afraid of what would have become of Master Bruce, Master Thomas, and Lady Martha. You have saved their lives, and I am sincerely grateful."

"Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Robin?"

"Am I dead?"

The question threw Alfred off guard. "I do not know."

"Because I don't feel alive anymore." Dick answered, looking down at the scone in his gloved hands. "It's supposed to be better this way. Bruce is supposed to be happy and everything is supposed to be perfect. But I… I don't feel happy, Alfred."

He couldn't stop the tears and he couldn't stop his mouth. All of the exhaustion and emotional trauma wore on him and now he was reverting back to a lost child. Intelligence made way for desperation, and the adult like speech he'd normally used when talking to others was now nothing more than fragmented, vague sentences spilled out between uneven breaths.

"I did something bad Alfred. I didn't mean to and Bruce said… Bruce said I was just like _them_ and I didn't mean it! And then… and then I was there. I saved Bruce and I died—but I'm still alive and it hurts and I don't know what to do! I've never done this by myself!"

He sobbed then, in front of Alfred and the tears soaked through his mask dripped onto the scones. All of the emotions he'd pushed back for so long came flooding back and out. Alfred had moved into the backseat and cradled Robin's head to his chest. For the first time, Alfred didn't know what to say. What could he say to this child who was suffering so much?

Against his better judgment, Alfred allowed the boy to leave; to crawl back into the shadows to hide. But at least he'd been able to get some information out of the child. It was becoming more and more confusing. Who was this child and what was he?

Hey guys, I just wanted to answer a question down here below.

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><p><strong>JediApprenticeLastQuest<strong> told me she was a bit confused about the seven years in the future thing. Robin saves Bruce and his family in the past, and then sort of time jumps again to the future. However, that is not what Robin is referring to. The date on the newspaper is seven years into the future from when Robin was just hanging with the guys of Young Justice. Sorry, I should have been clearer with that.

If anything else confuses you, please tell me and I'll try to make things clear here if I haven't already made it obvious in future chapters. Love hearing from you guys, it's truly spectacular!


	6. Sandwich Bait

Here's a lighter chapter guys. Is it wrong that I secretly take pleasure in all of your tears? ...Probably.

Augh! I made a mistake of not properly "lining" my parts on the last chapter! I'm so sorry, I'm going to fix that right now.

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><p>Barbara cheered silently. Sure enough, the boy known as Robin was dozing lightly on the rooftop above the alley leading a path through Grove to 32nd. It was the ideal spot to find cover from the rain. On the roof was a rather large cover. Barbara had accidently discovered it once when a particular violent gust of wind tore her kite away from the park and onto this roof. The boy was asleep, his cape curled around him, acting as a makeshift blanket. She almost missed him completely, but it was the slight shuffling of the boy that caught her attention.<p>

Carefully and quietly, Barbara set down the umbrella and readjusted the basket of food hanging from her left arm. Scooting next to the boy, she began to prepare a sandwich. She had done a phenomenal job of keeping silent until the boy moved slightly, startling her into dropping the knife that was so graciously slathering peanut butter onto the third sandwich she'd made.

The clang of the knife instantly woke the boy and before Barbara could assure him that everything was alright, he'd done a very impressive tumble backwards. Once he realized it was only her and a platter of food, he relaxed.

"What are you doing here?"

"Solving world hunger. You don't mind being my test dummy, do you? I made a few different kinds of sandwiches; I didn't know what you liked."

Robin studied her for a minute. "How did you find me?"

"This is the only roof with cover and it's raining pretty hard right now."

"How'd you know I'd even be outside? More importantly, why are you bringing me food?"

Barbara was highly amused. For a preteen, he certainly was suspicious. "You're a boy. Boys eat a lot. Besides, I owe you for before."

"You don't owe me anything." He narrowed his eyes beneath his mask. "Anyone would have done the same if they'd seen—"

"You're wrong." Barbara interrupted coldly. "Before you showed up, there were a couple of men on the other end of the alley. They ran faster than I'd ever seen. So tell me, why was it _you_, a mere kid in a rather interesting costume, who came to my rescue?"

Robin hesitated. Barbara narrowed her eyes. What was he hiding? He shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm Robin. It's what I do."

"You're seriously a superhero?" Barbara shook her head and held out a sandwich. "Here, kid, eat."

Robin collapsed next to her and shoved the sandwich into his mouth. He ate silently and Barbara was left to think of her next questions.

"Don't you have a family you need to check in with?"

Robin stiffened and Barbara quickly tried to backtrack. She stumbled through some trivial questions about his costume and his mask. He didn't answer any of them. Okay, wrong approach. She stuck to remaining silent for a while. To her surprise, Robin began to talk to her.

"Why did you find me, Babs?"

"Okay, seriously, how do you know my name?" Barbara sighed at his lack of response. "I'm curious. It's not everyday you see a kid parading around Gotham, at night no less, saving people. Besides, I heard an interesting story the other day about you; something about a mugging gone wrong and a child going by the name of Robin being killed."

"So it was real." Robin whispered to himself. It didn't go unnoticed by Barbara.

"Was it really you who saved the Wayne's?"

Robin took a deep breath. "Yeah, it was me."

"That's not possible! How are you here then? You should be at least thirty!"

Barbara watched him closely. He lips curved down into not quite a frown, but still indicated he was also troubled by this question. She waited patiently for his answer.

"Hey, Babs, how did Commissioner Gordon know me?"

"My dad? We know Mr. Wayne pretty well. He was the one who responded to the call that night. You know, the one where you apparently died."

Robin didn't say anything else for a long while. Barbara wasn't even sure he remembered she was there until he stood up and stretched.

"Thanks for bringing me food. I was starving." He walked out into the rain and before Barbara could say anything, flipped off the rooftop.

She hurriedly ran to the edge, expecting a rather gruesome sight below. Instead she caught the tail end of his cape turning a corner and then he was gone.

"Who _are_ you?" She murmured to herself. There was something about this boy, something that pulled her to him.

* * *

><p>It had felt good talking to Babs again. She was asking far too many questions for his comfort, but he'd managed to avoid telling her anything important. It appeared talking to the Commissioner's daughter wasn't such a good idea after all. He found many cops in the city exchanging identification info on him, and apparently there was a search warrant out for him. He wasn't a criminal, he hadn't done anything wrong, but he supposed Bruce or even Commissioner Gordon had put out the warrant.<p>

Things were becoming a little bit tight. He wasn't used to avoiding cops, and he wasn't used to not having a permanent cave to dwell in. He would have hacked the security system of any facility, but the risk of being caught was greater than it was outside in the shadows he knew he could safely hide in.

After a few days Robin started to notice something odd about every police officer he almost ran into. They were all carrying sandwiches. It wasn't just a coincidence. None of them were eating those sandwiches.

"Babs." Robin muttered.

No doubt she figured he was hungry. After her latest success in feeding him, he supposed she figured she could lure him with food. Shaking his head, he leapt from one roof to another.

"Help!"

Robin froze. He knew that voice. Carefully, he glanced over the edge of the roof and into an alley. Standing there was Bruce Wayne, Commissioner Gordon, and Barbara. Scowling, he stared down at them for a while.

"Robin, help!" Babs called, faking distress extremely well.

"You really think he'll show up?" Bruce asked.

"He saved me before. This shouldn't be any different." Barbara put her hands on her hips and waited. "Besides, we brought along plenty of food. He's probably hungry again."

Robin couldn't help but flush in anger. Those three were treating him like a lost pet! Without thinking, Robin leaned over the edge.

"I'm not a dog!" He yelled at them.

Three pairs of eyes were instantly on him. Robin stared back. Suddenly it didn't matter that he wasn't supposed to interact with them, especially Bruce. It only mattered that they weren't treating him like a human being. He was just some animal to hunt down and capture.

"Robin! Come down son!" Commissioner Gordon called out to him.

Robin didn't answer back, still bristling. Barbara held out a sandwich with a wide grin. Robin stuck his tongue out and backed away from the edge, disappearing from view. The door to the rooftop opened and suddenly there were three policemen, guns drawn.

Not amused, Robin leaned back over. He wasn't worried at all about the cops. They were easy to take down if needed, and even easier to escape from. No cop wanted to shoot a kid, and it was an advantage Robin would easily use. Then again, these were Gotham Cops. Ethics didn't exactly matter to a good 90% of them.

"Robin, please." Bruce pleaded from below. "I just want to talk to you."

An image flashed through his mind of Batman roaring at him. The harsh words came back to him and the hurt just as fresh. Yet here was Bruce, longing to talk to him. This Bruce wasn't his Bruce, though. This was just Bruce Wayne, heir to the Wayne industries and happy.

"You're living on the streets, aren't you?" Bruce asked. "Robin, let me give you a home."

It hurts.

It was too much hurt to contain. Bruce had said something so similar back when his parents died. Suddenly the cops behind him were too close. One reached out to grab him and Robin flipped over the edge. There was a cry from below, but Robin caught himself on a windowsill and sat himself on the narrow ledge. He nearly hadn't caught himself. The lack of sleep was catching up to him and it was true that he hadn't had a meal in a while.

"Son, please come down." Commissioner Gordon asked softly. "We're not going to hurt you."

Robin bit back a snarky comment and a scoff. He needed to disappear now. Things were getting a little too much to handle at once.

"Master Robin, please remove yourself from the windowsill."

Before Robin knew what he was doing, he'd jumped down. He froze once he hit the ground and turned. Alfred was standing at the end of the alley with a plate in his hands. Scones, Robin realized. Alfred was waiting for him with a plate of scones.

"Alfred."

"Master Bruce," Alfred said, ignoring the boy's staring. "I believe now is the time."

Robin turned back and realized Bruce was stepping toward him. Fear coursed through him. What was he supposed to do? He stepped back a few paces, matching Bruce's movements and keeping their distance.

"Master Robin," Alfred's voice cut sharply, "it is time to stop running."

Robin stopped, awaiting Bruce's arrival before him. When the two were face to face, Robin kept his eyes down. The shame of his mistakes and the still fresh hurt of Batman's words burned at him from inside. Bruce stood still, his breathing shallow, almost as if he was scared to breathe too hard and spook Robin away.

"Robin, I don't know how you're here, but I…"

Dick awaited the next words, feet itching to move. He really wanted to run. It was easier to run away. Arms surrounded his frame and pulled him close, warming his cold body. Dick stiffened. Bruce had never held him like this before. Suddenly Bruce sank to his knees, dragging Dick with him.

"I'm so sorry."

Dick swallowed thickly. It sounded like Bruce was… crying. Bruce didn't cry. No, Dick thought. Batman didn't cry. But Batman was dead.

"I'm sorry you had to save me, sorry I wasn't…" Bruce trailed off and never finished his sentence. After a moment, he pulled away, reaching for something. "I kept this to remind myself of you."

Dick couldn't believe his eyes. Bruce was holding his utility belt. But that wasn't right, his utility belt shouldn't exist. No Batman, no Wayne tech, no utility belt. Bruce gave it to him and Dick hesitantly took it.

"I tried to figure it out," Bruce said, wiping the tears out of his eyes, "but I never could. I didn't want anyone touching it so I never had it analyzed."

Robin slowly stood, fastening his utility belt around his waist where it belonged. "Engage."

The belt sparked to life, and the little grooves became pockets. Bruce watched, amazed. Robin furrowed his brows, causing his mask to wrinkle. There was no possible way for this to exist.

"Amazing!" He heard Barbara gush from behind Bruce.

"Master Bruce." Alfred said gently, nodding to him.

Bruce nodded back. "Robin, come with me. I'll take you home and—"

"No." Robin backed up. "I can't."

Bruce saw his utility belt work. He was curious. Robin would end up trying to turn him into Batman. Bruce wasn't Batman. Not now, not if he could help it. Bruce needed to be normal. He needed to be happy and unburdened by his job, his duty. Bruce would be hurt or killed with his lack of training. This wasn't the same Bruce he knew.

"Why?" Barbara asked. "I've seen you! You're on the streets! Mr. Wayne has already ado—"

"Miss Gordon," Alfred interrupted, "if you please, would you try one of these scones? I need a second opinion."

Robin narrowed his eyes. Alfred was stopping her—distracting her from revealing something. Babs looked confused and hesitantly approached the butler. A few words were exchanged and Barbara took a scone, munching on it thoughtfully.

"Robin, it's dangerous for you to be out here. It's getting colder and you'll get sick." Bruce took a step forward to place his hands on Dick's shoulders.

Dick stepped back, avoiding the hands. Bruce was getting too close. No, that wasn't it. Robin was allowing him to get too close. He was going to ruin everything if this continued.

"I'm fine. I know these streets and I'm not helpless."

"You're just a kid! You're not some superhero!" Babs chimed in from behind him.

"Master Robin, I must agree. I'm afraid past experiences—"

"I was caught off guard." Dick interrupted with a clipped tone. "It won't happen again. It'll _never_ happen again."

"Look, son, I'm sure you think—"

"I don't _think_, I know." Dick answered firmly. "I'm fine."

"What about your parents?" Bruce asked. "Aren't they worried?"

Dick tensed, biting his lower lip and clenching his fists. He'd been distracted. He still had no clue about this time's Dick Grayson, or perhaps there was no Dick Grayson. As for his parents… he was afraid of what he might find out. Were they dead? They probably were. Changing Bruce's future wouldn't change that part of his past.

They didn't understand, and wouldn't understand. Robin had a job to do. He was supposed to keep them happy. Involving them in becoming a vigilante was going to get them killed.

"Robin, please, we're trying to help you." Bruce looked so lost right then. Dick struggled for a moment with what to do and say. "Come home with me. We can find your parents—"

Dick turned and ran. He was too careless, too distracted. They didn't understand, and they would never understand. Robin had a job to do. He was supposed to keep them happy. Involving them in becoming a vigilante was going to get them killed.


	7. Going Home

Hey, just a bit of a heads up, I'm taking a one day trip tomorrow. Since I won't be able to update tomorrow, I'll upload three chapters today and three chapters on Sunday to make up for it. Sorry guys for the inconvenience.

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><p>The police had abandoned carrying around sandwiches, but Bruce had tripled his efforts to find Robin. Everywhere he turned he had to double check where he was going due to several instances of nearly getting caught. Twice he had to save Bruce discreetly with birdarangs from afar. Each time he watched as Bruce collected the birdarang with a hint of a smile.<p>

However, Bruce was right. It was getting cold enough to snow and his suit wasn't meant to protect him from such weather. Even in the winter, Batman had always made him wear extra coverings to ensure he stayed healthy. He was quickly becoming ill. Shivering for several hours on his newest rooftop, Robin deeply considered taking up Bruce's offer.

If he just slept there at night, it shouldn't be a problem. He already knew all of the ways in. Perhaps if he snuck in without Bruce knowing... After all, Bruce wasn't Batman anymore. He wasn't awake at night and the mansion was huge. He could hide before he got caught. He was a light enough sleeper; it would be fine. Besides, Bruce hadn't honed in on the acute awareness Batman had.

It was a long trek to the mansion, and Robin stared at his destination wearily. Carefully, under the cover of dark, Robin crept in through the window of what would have been his room. He knew exactly how to pick the lock so it would make no noise. He also knew that this Bruce wasn't someone who liked his mansion overly secure, especially with members of the League popping in from time to time.

Then again, Bruce wasn't part of the League. Was there even a League? Of course there was. Bruce's future and past weren't tied to anyone else's but his. Everyone else should be relatively the same.

Once inside, Robin took a moment to breathe in the familiar air of the mansion he hadn't stepped foot in for quite a while. It was strange. The room in the dark felt different, more closed in than he would have expected.

He realized there was someone in a bed on the opposite end of the room. Dick stood still, trying to gage whether or not the person was conscious. Once he was sure the person wasn't awake, he started to creep towards the door. He wasn't expecting the door to open.

Light filled the room, illuminating his figure. It wasn't Bruce or Alfred that stood in the doorway. It was a woman. She looked quite shocked to see him.

"Thomas!" She cried.

Robin panicked. He backed away and turned to the window, but the light switch was flicked on and instantly Robin was disoriented by the onslaught of light. It took him a moment to get used to the light, and in that time a man woke from his slumber.

"I don't believe this." The woman said.

"Robin?"

Robin debated with himself. Should he turn and engage with these people? He was already discovered, and when they told Bruce, he was going to be expecting him to return.

"Robin? Is that you? I didn't believe Alfred when he told me, but you really are alive." Thomas quietly rose from the bed.

He was running out of time; but it was freezing outside and Robin dreaded the thought of shivering for another night. He needed to answer them, but he wasn't sure how. He blurted out the first thing on his mind.

"This used to be my room. Sorry."

After it was said, Dick immediately cursed himself. That didn't make any sense to these people. Bruce's parents were alive, so of course he'd still find them living in the mansion. This was only his second time meeting them and he had said something so… so insane.

"Uh, nevermind! Just… just don't tell Bruce!" Robin turned and stared at their awed faces. It reminded him of when he'd first done his triple back flip for his parents. They were so shocked and proud. "Please?"

"It is you, isn't it?" Martha asked. "Are you alright? You look cold, let me fetch you a blanket."

Martha left the room before Robin could protest and he was left with Thomas who hesitantly approached him.

"I can't believe it. Even after all these years you haven't aged a day. How is this possible?"

Dick didn't answer, nervously standing in front of this man. Thomas didn't try to touch him like Bruce had. He stayed his distance and Dick was grateful.

"I watched you die. I felt you die." Thomas's voice wavered. "You can't be alive."

Martha came back, a soft smile on her face. She handed Robin the blanket and closed the door behind her.

"Alfred almost caught me." She let out a soft, warm laugh. "I had to lie. It's very hard to do with a sweet man like him."

Robin didn't know what to do or what to say. He ended up blurting out something again.

"I know. It's because he always loyal and he always knows what to do."

"You know Alfred?"

Robin winced. The blanket in his hands was warm and he longed to wrap it around himself. He refrained, telling himself he was going to leave in just a minute.

"Come, sit with us." Martha pulled up a chair near the bed.

"I can't. I really have to go."

"If you leave now, I'll tell Bruce." Thomas crossed his arms across his chest. His dark hair was now grey and thinning. "You asked us for a favor, so you'll have to return it by keeping us old folk company for the night."

Robin opened his mouth and shut it again. The man knew how to get someone to cooperate. He had no choice but to obey. Reluctantly, he sat in the chair and let Martha wrap the blanket around his body. It was warm, warmer than he'd been in so long.

"Now, why don't you grab us some hot cocoa, Martha? Be careful." Thomas gave her a look and she gave a look back before quietly exiting the room.

Once she was gone, Dick avoided looking at Thomas. For some reason he was sure he knew what the man was going to say.

"I never got the chance to thank you. You left us so quickly and Bruce was a mess. I was a mess for a while too."

Dick stayed silent.

"I'll never forget what you've done for my family, Robin. Thank you."

If he didn't look he wouldn't see the tears. It was bad enough to hear the strain on the man's voice. Swallowing thickly, Robin allowed himself to answer.

"I… you shouldn't thank me."

He was awful. He felt sick. Just a few days ago he was wishing he hadn't saved them. He wished he hadn't saved Bruce's happiness for his own selfish reasons.

"You saved us."

"You'll hate me." Dick couldn't help the crack in his voice. He was struggling to hold back his feelings. "You'll hate me when you find out."

"Find out what?" Thomas's voice was soft, nearly a whisper.

"I… I wished I hadn't." Dick drew up his knees to his chest and buried his face in them. "I wished I hadn't saved you."

There was silence and Dick knew. Thomas Wayne hated him for sure. What were you supposed to do when someone who saved you wished they could take it all back, wished you were dead instead? Flashes of Batman ran through his mind and he shut his eyes tightly against the pain.

"I understand. You were so young and… and you died. It's natural to wish—to wish something like that."

"You don't understand." Dick whimpered. "I'm selfish and I wished you were dead because then I wouldn't be—"

He couldn't say it. He couldn't say this to the man he'd saved so long ago. He really didn't deserve all he'd had in the past. He didn't deserve Alfred and Bruce as his caretakers. It was no wonder his parents died. He was incompetent. He couldn't save them just like he couldn't save the henchman who'd fallen out of his grasp. Batman was right to hate him, to wish he could take it all back.

It hurt that Bruce was looking so hard for him. It hurt that Bruce wanted to shelter him like he'd done in the past when Dick was so selfish. Dick couldn't let him. He couldn't let Bruce make the same mistake Batman had. Robin needed to stay away. What was he doing here?

"You wouldn't be what? If it's not because you wouldn't be dead, then what?"

"Alone."

Thomas was silent for a moment. "Robin, you don't have to be alone. Stay with us. I don't hate you. I could never hate you, not when you made such a sacrifice for this family."

Why didn't this man understand? Robin was too tired to argue.

* * *

><p>He fell asleep far too quickly and didn't awaken until hands shook him awake. Two worried figures stood over him and Robin realized he was breathing hard and crying.<p>

"Are you alright?" Martha asked. "You were having a nightmare."

Dick didn't answer. He didn't remember what his dream was about. He felt disoriented and he couldn't focus.

"He's got a fever."

"We can't call Alfred, the kids will be worried."

"We can't leave him like this either. I'll keep Bruce and the kids busy; you can get Alfred and some medicine. Just force Alfred to keep quiet. He'll want to tell Bruce, but we can't cause this boy any more distress. It could cause his fever to worsen."

There were echoing footsteps, and they lulled Dick back to sleep. A cold hand on his forehead woke him, though he had no strength to open his eyes.

"Mom." He whispered, leaning into the hand.

"Hush, go back to sleep."

And he did.


	8. Golden Boy

And here is where you get to see my hopefully not FAIL in keeping these guys in character. If it does get a bit OOC, let me know and I'll do my best to sort of rework it.

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><p>Dick woke for a third time in a large bed. There was no one else in the room, but Dick could hear a small racket going on outside in the halls. Getting out of the bed he had no recollection of being tucked into, he crept across the room soundlessly.<p>

"Give it back you little brat!"

"No way, Drake! I acquired it first!"

"God, you're such a brat! Give it back or I'll make Dad make you!"

"Ooh, hiding behind father as always. Why don't you fight me for it?"

"Because you bite, you demon!"

"Shut the hell up!"

"You shut up, Todd! This does not concern you!"

"The hell it does! You little shit!"

"Quiet! Damian, give it back. Jason, language! You boys have been taught better!"

"Sorry, Grandpa."

"Drake started it!"

Robin frowned. There was more than just Bruce, his parents, and Alfred in this house. Peeking out, Dick caught sight of three boys and Thomas. The boys each varied in age, one a teenager, another his age, and the last a bit younger than him.

"Why do we have to be so quiet?" The youngest asked suspiciously. "You've never yelled at us so quickly before."

"Damian's right, Gramps. You're definitely temperamental today." The oldest leaned against a door Dick assumed led to his room. "You hiding something? Grams is acting weird too. I know you paid off Alfred. He's not giving anything away."

"A secret? What kind of secret?" The middle one asked. Suddenly his face scrunched up in disgust. "Don't tell me Grandma's pregnant! Can you even get pregnant at her age?"

"Drake, you idiot, that's not it!" The youngest hissed, crossing his arms. He looked a bit on the wild side. "The symptoms aren't correct. I say they're hiding something big by the evasive behavior."

"Boys—"

"You're not getting one past us, Gramps." The oldest smirked. "From the way you've been standing, I'm betting the secret is in your room."

"Jason," Thomas warned, "You set one foot in—Damian!"

Dick acted quickly, scrambling for a position up on the ceiling. No one ever looked up. The youngest boy entered the room with a large grin on his face. He scanned the room and furrowed his brows at the sight of Dick's utility belt.

"Dad's belt. So Grandfather has stolen it from him." The boy declared to the middle child, who was right behind him.

"Get out of there!" Thomas entered and tried to shoo them from the room. Upon his entry, he was surprised to find Dick missing. "Where did…?"

"Where did what?" The oldest, Jason, asked smoothly. "You're definitely hiding something."

"Grandfather, you are going to have to answer to father when he gets home. This is his very precious treasure. He never lets us touch it. I see no reason why he would allow you to touch it either."

"Damian, do you know the story of that belt?" Thomas asked.

Dick cursed their dillydallying. His arms wobbled slightly at the effort of keeping himself up. It had been a while since he'd trained. Now they had his utility belt. If they took it, he'd have to hunt it down. What a pain.

"Not this again." Jason rolled his eyes. "Golden Boy is dead. Just let it be."

"Jason." Thomas warned again. "Do not talk about—"

"About what? The greatest child known to man? Look, any of us would take more than a bullet for Dad. Besides, Golden Boy is dead. Dad should just bury that stupid thing."

They all called Bruce father. Dick felt pain crush his chest. He never even imagined Bruce would have children. Especially since he, former ward of Bruce Wayne, didn't even call him father. It was unspoken that they were just Bruce and Dick. Dick wasn't his son, and Bruce wasn't his father. Now it seemed Bruce's eldest hated him.

"Get out, all of you. Damian, leave the belt. I'll give it to Bruce when he gets home. Go see Grandma about your punishments."

"For what?" The middle child pouted.

"Jason's swearing and your fight with Damian. I'm sure there's a chore or two Alfred would love to be relieved of."

Reluctantly, the three boys left. As soon as the door was shut, Dick dropped down, startling Thomas. Uttering an apology, he reached out and grabbed his utility belt.

"So that's where you went. I was afraid they'd find you." Thomas frowned suddenly. "Are you alright? You had a fever all of yesterday."

"I'm okay. Thanks."

"You're leaving." It wasn't a question. Thomas knew.

"I can't stay."

"Why?"

"Bruce doesn't need me here. He's got a family." Dick nodded to the door. While he knew Thomas would be confused, he left it at that and went for the window. "I've got work to do, anyways."

"You mean being a superhero?"

"Gotham's a dangerous place;" Robin said, giving a small smirk, "but I'm a bit more dangerous. I'll be alright."

"You're going to get sick again. Stay here."

"I already told you I can't."

"I'll tell Bruce." The man threatened. "I'll tell him everything."

"What's there to tell?" Robin countered. "I won't be coming back."

After a moment of silence, Thomas spoke up again. His voice was soft and his tone gentle. "However they died, it wasn't your fault."

Dick froze.

"Who is Batman?"

He turned back to Thomas Wayne, who was staring right back at him. Dick felt his heart clench.

"Batman doesn't exist." Robin answered.

"And what about this KF person and Miss M? Do they exist either?" Thomas frowned. "Your parents? Are they made up as well? You called out for your parents only once in your sleep. The rest of the night was apologies to this Batman and other ramblings about KF and Miss M."

Robin slowly took it all in. even in his dreams he couldn't escape his memories. The door suddenly opened.

"Gramps, Grams wants… who are you?" Jason narrowed his eyes. "Gramps how did he get in?"

"Jason, I want you to look closely at this boy." Thomas ordered.

Robin wasn't sure he was ready to meet Bruce's son; but he turned to face the teenager anyways. Jason was taller than he was, at least three years older, possibly four, and looked at him with cold eyes.

"You're not seriously buying into Dad's delusions, are you? Just because he didn't find a body doesn't mean Golden Boy is still alive."

Robin narrowed his eyes back. He already didn't like this kid. What was with the term Golden Boy?

"My name is Robin."

"Oh yeah?" Jason widened his shoulders and puffed out his chest. "I suppose you're going to tell me you've been magically raised back from the dead? Is this your secret, Gramps? You paid some kid to dress like this to cater to Dad's delusions? You're sick, you know that?"

"Don't you talk to me like that." Thomas snarled back. "You weren't there. You never saw this boy save your father. You weren't there when his blood was painting the concrete."

"And this is supposed to make me understand?" Jason glared at Robin. "Go home. This old man's crazy and you aren't helping anything."

Robin let Jason stalk up to him and snatch his utility belt. Once Jason was halfway through the door, Robin spoke.

"Utility belt, minimum stun."

Immediately Jason let out a cry of pain and dropped the floor. Thomas stared wide eyed as Robin retrieved his utility belt.

"I'm not playing games." Robin answered. "But if you want a game, fine. I'll play. I'll hide and you seek."

Without another word, Robin turned on his heels and jumped back out through the window. Thomas helped Jason up and together they watched Robin run away.

"What the hell, Gramps?" Jason hissed.

"His name is Robin and he says he's going to look after Bruce for a while."

"Where the hell did he come from? How is this even possible?"

"I don't know. I don't even think he knows the answer to that."


	9. Pieces to the Puzzle

Once again, in case someone didn't read the top of Chapter 7, I will be out of town and not able to access a computer, so no updates for tomorrow. To make up for it, this third chapter is posted. There will be three chapters on Sunday as well. Hope you enjoy writhing in your seats for more. Don't forget to review and tell me if I'm getting OOC with any of these characters, messed up on any spelling or grammar, or if you just plain don't like where this is going. Thanks a bunch and enjoy your Saturday guys!

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><p>Bruce sat brooding in the living room. After coming home very unsuccessful, as usual, in his search for the lost vigilante, he discovers all of his sons looking rather puzzled. His parents were looking guilty and troubled, and Alfred was in the kitchen, busying himself with dinner. Once he'd heard the story, he sat down and didn't say a word. He didn't eat dinner and refused to look at anyone.<p>

His boys weren't to be blamed for anything; they had no idea that his parents were harboring the very person he'd been out searching for. Alfred had been forced into silence, and it wasn't as if he could stay angry at his parents once they'd told him of the boy being sick.

He was merely taking it all in. His parents had left out no details, down to Robin's guilty confession and Jason's stunning. Truly, that utility belt was a wonder.

"Bruce? Are you angry with us?" Martha asked her son, placing hot tea in front of him.

"No, mom." He sighed and took the cup. "I'm just trying to figure him out. Why is he always running away from me? Why won't he stay and talk?"

"I think he's afraid, Bruce."

"Of what?" Bruce frowned. "I wouldn't ever hurt him. He's suffering on his own and I just want to give him a home. You said he was crying out in his sleep for his parents, right? It's no wonder there wasn't a missing person poster up for him. There was no one to miss him."

The thought hurt Bruce. Did Robin save him and his parents because it reminded him of his own parents? The boy had died—yet was somehow alive. Perhaps he wasn't alive at all. But how could a ghost have felt so real and manifested to so many people? No, a ghost couldn't have done the things this boy had done.

"Master Bruce, I'm afraid I have a confession myself." Alfred spoke up from the door to the living room.

"Alfred, we forced you to stay quiet. You are not at fault here."

"It is not about that, Lady Martha. I'm afraid I've had my own run in with Robin. This was nearly three weeks ago, sir. While waiting outside to pick you up, the boy had run into the limo. After feeding him some scones, he revealed some information I found questionable. After his request not to tell you, I have kept silent. I believe this information may both shock as well as aid you."

"Tell me everything Alfred."

Alfred did so, also not skimping on any details. Bruce charted out the information on a piece of paper.

"We know Robin doesn't have a home or a family. We also know he's dead, or used to be. He's feeling lonely, and he's picked out a couple of people to protect. He's protecting Barbara Gordon, and she's run into him three times. He's also protecting me; I've run into him five times, and twice he's saved me without showing himself. Alfred, from your information we've gathered he feels if he is around me, it will cause me pain."

Bruce took another piece of paper and started to scribble on it.

"Is Robin an alias? Why would I be unhappy if he is near me? Who is Batman, KF, and Miss M? How did his parents die? How is he alive? How does he know Alfred and Barbara Gordon, and why has he contacted them? Where did he get that belt? Where did he come from? Who are his parents? Who is _them_ and when did I say those things?"

Looking back up to his parents and Alfred, he nodded at each of them.

"Any theories? Any answers to these questions?"

Thomas spoke up. "I have a theory. According to the little details, our room used to be his. He misses Alfred's scones, he wishes he hadn't rescued us so that he wouldn't feel lonely, all of it points to—"

"Time travel." Tim piped up from the doorway. "He traveled back in time."

"Young master Timothy, I do believe this was a private meeting."

"Like that's going to stop us from eaves dropping." Jason scowled, revealing his hiding spot behind a couch. "Besides, Golden Boy shocked me, and like hell if I'm just going to let him get away with that."

"Jason!" Martha raised her voice sternly. "Keep up that language and you'll have a bottle of dish soap sloshing around in that foul mouth of yours."

Damian, from his place on top of the ceiling fan, peered down. "If Robin traveled back in time to change something, then what did he change?"

"He saved Grams and Gramps, weren't you listening?"

"But why would he go back in time to change something he'd regret?" Bruce frowned. "I think we're missing a big factor here. I don't think he meant to go back in time. If I remember right, Robin looked surprised on that night when we told him our names."

"You think he didn't recognize us and unintentionally changed the past." Martha bit her lip. "If that was the case, then wouldn't he be looking for a way to change the past again? To fix what he's changed?"

"No." Thomas shook his head. "When you think about it, somehow Bruce and Robin were together in his timeline. In his timeline we aren't alive, and most likely, Jason, Tim, and Damian weren't living here either. Before, Robin said Bruce didn't need him because he had a family now. There's something he's protecting Bruce from."

"Dad, are you going to adopt him, too?" Tim asked. "I wouldn't mind. I mean, it looks like the kid's had it rough for a while now."

Bruce stared at his foster son. "It doesn't look like he's willing, Tim. I offered, but he's turned me down."

"Dad," Jason stood up and looked to Bruce. "I know what he's protecting you from. A kid like that doesn't just automatically get fancy gear and skills like that. Someone taught him. If he's been with you in his timeline… Dad, you're a superhero too."

It took a moment to sink in.

"It makes sense." Damian jumped down from the ceiling fan. "Father has the wealth to get anything he wishes. Todd is right. Father must have trained him."

"Wait, why would he protect Dad from that? Why wouldn't he want him to know?" Tim crossed his arms and furrowed his brows. "I would want to be a superhero. Beating up bad guys and having cool super powers… who wouldn't want to be one?"

"Golden Boy doesn't have super powers." Jason scoffed. "At least not that we've seen."

"It's because it's dangerous." Bruce stood and grabbed his jacket. "He's protecting me in every sense of the word. If I became a superhero again, I could get hurt. Then there's what he said about my happiness. That must be you, all of you. "He's got a family now." That must be what he meant. If I get hurt or killed, it would affect all of you."

"I believe Robin holds you in extremely high regards. He seems to be working hard for your happiness, sir." Alfred brought in several more coats. "It seems to be starting to snow. If we are going to find him, we must be quick."


	10. Hide and Seek

Hey guys, as promised, another three chapters for today.

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><p>Robin cursed Gotham. It was snowing now, and even the bad guys hadn't taken a break. He'd stopped three muggings, two robberies, and six would be rapes. It was true; Gotham was the infected wound on the earth that refused to be cleaned. Work would never stop.<p>

Exhausted, he sat on the corner of a roof. He really needed to warm back up. He could hardly feel his hands and his feet, and he was sure his fever had come back. He looked at a nearby closed shop. Minimal security, considering the times. It would at least be a little warmer in there than out in the snow. Deciding it was worth it, he carefully climbed down a fire escape, accidently slipping halfway down and landing flat on his back on the pavement.

Dick laid in the snow for a minute, trying to catch his breath. The wind had been knocked out of him and wasn't in a huge rush to get back up. It was rather comfortable on his back. He was tired and cold. His minute of rest was over and he scrambled back up onto his feet.

The shop was easily hacked and Dick let himself in. It truly was warmer, albeit the still less than satisfactory temperature. He spent the next twenty minutes trying to find the heating system, and another five minutes trying to figure out how to turn it on.

His head felt fuzzy and he wasn't exactly feeling the best. His nose was completely plugged, he could hear his heartbeat in his ears and no matter what he did or how high he turned the temperature, he couldn't get warm. Deciding napping was the best option; he curled up near the heater and allowed himself to slip into blissful unconsciousness.

Tim nudged Jason, pointing to a small shop with fogged up windows. Jason smirked and together they trudged through the accumulating snow. There were indents in the snow, most likely once tracks. Someone was definitely hiding in there. The door had a closed sign, but Jason pushed it open regardless. If Robin had broken in, there was no sense in being cautious.

It was pitch black, but warmth immediately hit them and a collective sigh of relief filled them. Tim scrunched his nose, trying to put feeling back into it. Jason felt the walls for a light switch. Once found, the boys immediately shut their eyes against the offending light. A small groan was heard from behind the counter.

Once Tim's eyes adjusted, he peered over the counter and found the boy they were trying to track down. Robin was curled up next to the heater, now pulling his cape over his eyes to shield them. Jason went around the counter and lightly kicked Robin.

"Found ya."

Robin pulled his cape back down and squinted. It took the Boy Wonder a minute to recognize Jason, and once he did he groaned again and hit his head against the heater.

"Not feeling the aster right now," he said, "not at all."

"What?" Tim frowned. He didn't even have a clue to what that meant.

"Listen Goldie, it's really fricking cold outside. Alfred's worried about you, and we want some answers. So you're coming with us."

"We know you're a time traveler." Tim added. "Besides, Alfred has hot chocolate waiting for us. Did he make that for you in your time?"

Robin didn't answer. He slowly registered what the two boys were saying and bolted straight up onto his feet, swaying when all of the blood drained from his head. He caught himself and frowned at the two staring at him as if he was a lost puppy.

"Can't go back."

"Why?" Tim hopped over the counter. "You aren't going to do any harm by just spending a night or two. We already figured out everything. Dad's not going to turn superhero just 'cause you're around."

Jason elbowed Tim and hissed at him to shut up. "You don't have a choice anymore, Golden Boy."

Robin barked out a laugh when Jason whipped out a knife. It was pretty rugged looking, but Robin had faced off against so much worse.

"I lived on the streets too. I'm not an amateur." Jason snapped at him. "I'm not afraid to get you back for earlier, either."

"A knife?" Robin rasped out. "You seriously think a knife will convince me to go? I've faced off against the worst of Gotham's scum."

The door opened and a particularly dark figure entered, flipping a coin. "Well, well. What have we got here?"

Robin sneered. Just when he'd thought this Gotham didn't have anyone to worry about. In comes Two Face, as ugly as ever.

"Two Face." Robin pulled Tim back behind him, the slightly older boy scowling. Jason turned and took a defensive stance.

"What's this? Three boys having a slumber party? Nice pajamas, kid." Two Face. "What are you doing out so late? Bed time was hours ago."

"Utility Belt, engage." Immediately the utility belt activated, opening pockets for Robin to easily access. "We were just heading home. I imagine you weren't."

"You've got a smart mouth. Let's flip and see if you get a bullet to the brain or to the heart."

Two Face flipped his coin and before it fell into his hand, the sound of metal slicing metal cut through the air. To Two Face's right, a birdarang pinned his coin to the wall of the shop. Robin smirked, several more in hand.

"Listen, I could take you out, or you could leave." Robin leapt up onto the counter. "These guys really need to go home, and I'd rather not take a trip down to Gotham PD dragging your sorry butt. So really, save us both the trouble and get out."

Two Face sneered, drawing his pistol and cocking it. "You're dead, kid."

Robin sighed. "So not whelmed right now."

The pistol was fired and Robin was in action. He flipped and kicked, knocking Two Face through the glass door and out into the snow. Quickly turning to the other two, he started barking out orders.

"Get down for now, and as soon as I cuff him, run around the corner. He's bound to have some back up around here. I'll fly us out in a minute."

Tim did as told, but peeked over the top of the counter to watch. Jason scowled, but reluctantly followed his brother's lead. He was also curious to watch Robin work. Dick turned back to Two Face and avoided three more bullets to the head, countering with two birdarang's to Two Face's right hand. One knocking the gun away, and the other embedding itself into the flesh of his hand.

Two Face let out a yowl and a snarl before Robin's fist met his face a few times. The fight was over and he motioned for Jason and Tim to move as he pulled the unconscious man's wrists together behind him and locked them into bat shaped handcuffs.

Sure enough, Dick was right. Three cronies were trudging through the snow, each drawing guns. Backing away from his catch of the night, Robin met the other boys around the corner.

"How are we supposed to get out of here?" Tim asked, keeping his eyes on Two Face's still form in the snow.

"We fly." Robin answered, pulling out his grappling hook. "I'm going to need you to hold on my waist. Don't let go."

Unsure, Tim hesitantly did as asked. Jason took a step back, refusing outright.

"It's fly or die." Robin snapped. "Seriously, we're running out of time."

The grunts of the cronies was getting closer and reluctantly Jason grabbed hold. Shooting the grappling hook, all three boys were pulled through the air as Robin maneuvered them in between buildings and up onto the roof of a building several blocks away. It would be some time before Two Face's cronies would even get close enough to see them.

The landing wasn't as graceful as the flight, and because of the added weight, Robin nearly was shy of the rooftop. All three were thrown across the snow covered roof. Tim was the first to recover, shaking and struggling with something to say. He noticed Robin a couple of feet away and went to check on him.

"Son of a bitch!" Jason groaned, holding his hip. "What the hell just happened?"

"Jay, he's not waking up! I think he might have hit his head." Tim shook the boy's prone body. "Not good."

"What?"

"His head is bleeding. How are we supposed to get off this roof?" Tim reached into his pocket. "I'm calling Dad."

"Shit! What if Dad runs into Two Face? Warn him."

Tim impatiently waited for their father to pick up the phone. "Dad! Listen, stay where you are. Jay and I found him. It's a long story and we've got a couple of problems—no we're okay. Well, he's got a head wound and—no! Dad, listen, we ran into Two Face. We need you to take to the north and stay away from the south. We're on a roof near…"

"The signs are all covered with snow." Jason looked for some kind of landmark. "I think we're on an apartment building. We're really high up."

"We're on an apartment building roof." Tim relayed. "Uh… we'll tell you how when we get home. Hey wait. Jay, is that Wayne Tech?"

Jason squinted. "Yeah. We're next to Wayne Tech."

"We're next to Wayne Tech. Hurry. It's really cold and I can't get this wound to stop bleeding." Tim hissed at the gash along Robin's temple. "Bye Dad."

"He alive, Timmy?" Jason plopped next to his brother in the snow. "Damn, it's bleeding good. Don't worry too much though. Head wounds bleed a lot. It's just how it goes."

"He's shivering." Tim eyed Robin, especially curious about his utility belt. Reaching for it, his hand was slapped away by Jason. "What was that for?"

"Last time I tried that I got shocked. Don't touch it." Jason shifted and winced. "Damn it. My hip hurts."

"I hit my ribs pretty good, but I think I'm okay. It only hurts if I move a certain way."

"This kid is dangerous. He took out Two Face in under a minute. No way is a kid that good."

"If Dad was a superhero too, I bet he was better. That's really scary to think about."

Jason didn't say anything, and it was silent until the door to the roof was opened ten minutes later and a very worried Bruce Wayne ushered them inside, scooping up Robin. Once back at Wayne Manor, the boys were patched up. At four in the morning, nearly all of the occupants of Wayne Manor went to bed. Bruce sat next to the unconscious Robin sleeping in his bed, and Alfred kept him company.

"This boy is the biggest mystery in the world Alfred. Just when I think I have him figured out, more questions arise."

"We can't force him to stay, you know."

"I know, but we can't just let him go out there and freeze to death. He's still sick."

"Yes, that fever of his is running on the high side." Alfred gently placed his hand on Dick's forehead. "I imagine it will take more than an evening's rest to recover from this."

"If anything, we can use his injury as an excuse."

"You mean to tell him he only has to stay until he is healed and in that time frame manage to persuade him to stay for good."

"It couldn't hurt. He's still a kid."

"Yes, that's what worries me. Sir, I have seen many things, but a child facing off against dark and very dangerous criminals have me baffled." Alfred sighed. "This boy is going to get more than a concussion and fever at this rate. He's going to get himself killed."

Bruce opened his mouth to say something and shut it again.

"What is it?" Alfred raised an eyebrow. "I know that look. You disagree with me."

"To a degree." Bruce admitted. "From the way Jason and Tim told me about how he took down Two Face, I'm not so sure he's being reckless. He died when saving me and my parents, but then it seemed like he was taken off guard; whereas now he was very much focused and in control of the situation."

"Even so, sir, he is a child."

"It makes you wonder, doesn't it? Who could possibly allow a child out onto the streets at night? How young was he when he started? He can't have just started."

"Honestly, Master Bruce, I have a feeling it was you." Alfred sighed, "I will turn in for the night. Please don't push yourself. You have three meetings tomorrow regarding Wayne Tech."

"Thank you, Alfred."


	11. Explanations of a Past Life

Okay, I can already tell a lot of you are going to smile at this chapter. I'm eager to hear your predictions.

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><p>Dick heard voices; lots of loud whispers and low murmurs. The hums of the voices acted as both a means for waking up and a lullaby for sleep. At the moment, he couldn't decide which path he wanted to follow.<p>

"Idiot! Don't touch it!"

"Why, just because you got shocked last time? Todd, you're the idiot."

"Shut up! He's still asleep."

"He's going to wake up sooner or later; might as well be now."

"Damian! Don't—you moron!"

Hands were shaking him then. Robin smirked and in one solid movement grabbed Damian's left arm and forced him face down onto the bed. He forced the arm backwards at such an angle that if Damian so much as twitched his left arm would be dislocated. Dick's knee was on the small of the boy's back and he turned back to the older two.

"Impressive." Damian squeaked from underneath him.

"Let him go." Jason crossed his arms, not looking terribly concerned. "He's a moron, but the brat didn't mean any harm."

Dick looked back down at his captive. Damian was rather gruff looking for being younger than him. The nearly permanent scowl was now a calculating grin. What the boy was happy about, he didn't know. He released Damian, rolling backwards and off of the bed.

It seemed that action didn't help him in the least. His vision blurred and he felt like he was going to hurl. Forcing it back, Dick was more focused on how badly his head throbbed. At least his mask was still on.

"Concussion?" He asked.

"Yeah. It's not too bad." Tim answered. "Alfred said you shouldn't move around a lot for a couple of days."

"I'll be fine in four hours."

If anything, Dick had suffered more than his share of concussions. He knew exactly how long it took to get his body back into whack.

"What's your name?" Damian demanded. "Your real name."

Dick frowned. So they figured out it was merely his alias. Dick decided to ignore his question. He wasn't obligated to tell them anything. Sure, they were Bruce's kids—wait a minute.

"Where's your mom?" Dick asked. "You're Bruce's kids, right? I haven't seen your mom. Does she live here?"

"No." All three answered at the same time.

"We're his adopted kids." Jason bit out. "He's not our real father."

"We're not related by blood." Damian made sure to make that as clear as possible, including over the top hand gestures and slowing down his speech.

Dick felt a little better. So they were in the same boat he was. He noticed his utility belt was on the dresser near Jason. He would have to think of a way to get that back without them noticing.

"We answered your question, now answer one of ours." Tim patted the bed, silently ordering him to sit down.

Dick supposed it couldn't hurt. Abruptly the rest of them were also on Bruce's enormous bed, crowding him.

"Well? What is it?" Tim pushed.

"Dick."

Immediately the three erupted into laughter.

"Seriously?" Jason guffawed. "That's seriously your name?"

"It's short for Richard." Alfred added, coming into the room with a frown on his face. "You three have no business here."

"Alfred, we got him to talk!" Jason grinned. "Mr. Time Traveler is finally answering some questions."

"Time traveler?" Dick scowled. "What are you talking about?"

"We figured it out." Tim answered. "You went back in time and changed something and now you're back in the present."

Dick was mildly impressed. How they managed to figure that out, he'd never know, but it was pretty accurate.

"The future. This is the future." Dick corrected. "Seven years, actually."

"Why?" Damian growled.

"Why what?"

"Why was it you? Why did you change whatever it is you changed? Why are you here? Why can you do those things?"

"Dude, that's a lot of why's." Dick answered. "I don't know if I can answer them all. I'm still trying to figure things out."

Why was he telling them this? What was it about these boys that made him open up? It was the same with Bruce's parents. Something about this future was so… inviting. He didn't feel like running anymore. He felt different around Bruce. Bruce wasn't… wasn't someone he had to prove himself to anymore. He still needed to keep Bruce away from the idea of becoming the Caped Crusader, but as long as he didn't say anything about it, Bruce should be fine. It was hard to do this alone, but that was the reality of the situation.

"What _can_ you answer, young master Richard?" Alfred asked.

"Maybe… maybe it would be better to wait." Dick bit his lip. "I should tell everyone at the same time."

"Fair enough;" Alfred answered before Damian could rudely pretest, "this evening after dinner then. Come along young master Jason, Damian, Tim, we must let him rest."

The boys were ushered out of the room and Dick waited until the door was shut before snatching his utility belt back. Double checking that nothing was stolen from it, he heaved a sigh of relief. Those boys would hurt themselves trying to figure out how to use his "toys".

Kid Flash had wanted to try using his utility belt once. Robin decided to let him try. It was a mess of gadgets gone wrong and the speedster ended up unconscious from using his own knockout gas. It was hilarious. Robin smiled fondly at the memory.

He wondered where Kid Flash was now. It was seven years into the future, so that would make Kid Flash about 22 years old. That was nine years older than himself. Miss Martian was probably the same age and Superboy would be… 7 and a half years old. Physically the clone of the Man of Steel would be in his early twenties. Aqualad and Artemis would be 23. He was so far behind. Well, unless there was somehow another Dick Grayson running around.

Deciding not to think about it too much longer, he laid back and closed his eyes, dreaming of memories of exciting missions and corny puns from villains.

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><p>Before he knew it gentle hands shook him. Groaning, he rolled over, one hand clutching the blanket over him tighter and the other swatting at the hands.<p>

"Robin, it's time for dinner." The voice was female and Dick immediately snapped his eyes open.

Martha smiled at him and waited for him to sit up. Dick rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and struggled to remember what he was doing before he fell asleep. It didn't really matter, Martha was beckoning him to come down for dinner and Dick obeyed.

"Tim told me your name is Richard."

"Dick," He answered, stifling a yawn, "my parents called me Dick."

"It's a lovely name." Martha smiled fondly. "Friends of ours named their child Richard. They called him Dick as well."

"Mm." His head still ached, but it wasn't serious. The nap he'd taken had helped—well, it wasn't exactly a nap when he'd been asleep for the last seven hours.

Downstairs Tim and Damian were arguing again, Jason was brooding in the corner, Thomas was reading the newspaper, and Bruce was trying and failing to break up the argument. Once the family had noticed him, it had gone quiet and very awkward.

"Robin, are you feeling any better?"

After spending weeks avoiding Bruce, the itch in his muscles to flee never went away. He nodded, but didn't speak. Alfred announced that dinner was ready and for once, the long table in the dining hall seemed to be filled with people. Usually it was just him and Alfred, who brought him breakfast.

His usual spot was taken by Jason, and while it just didn't seem right, Dick sat at the other side of the table and furthest from Bruce. He didn't fail to notice the disappointed frown on the former vigilante's face. He tried to quell the guilt while shoving his fork into the mashed potatoes.

Dinner was just as awkward. Alfred sat across from him—a strange sight in and of itself, and seemed to be trying to figure out what exactly to say. Dick was grateful no one asked him any questions during dinner. It allowed him some time to think things through. How much was he willing to reveal to Bruce's family?

It hurt to even think of the word. He and Bruce had never really considered themselves as family. It was merely a partnership born of tragedy and grief. He supposed that was the best way to start off. Dinner was over far too soon, and Dick had hardly touched the food. Perhaps that was what Alfred was struggling with. His Alfred would immediately order him to finish breakfast or there would be no breakfast the next morning.

Things were too different.

In the living room, Dick sat by himself in a chair and watched as Bruce's adopted sons sort of scrunched together on one couch and Bruce and his parents sat on another. Alfred stood by the door to the kitchen.

"Alfred, you should probably sit down." Dick called out. To his surprise, Alfred obeyed. "I should probably start off by saying that things right now are a lot different than what I'm used to."

Dick paused, struggling to find the right words to say. He still needed to protect these people—these people who were precious to Bruce now.

"Take your time, Dick." Thomas smiled at him and Dick hurriedly looked down at his hands.

"I just don't know how sane this will all sound to you."

"You mean about the time traveling?" Jason snorted. "The shock has long since worn off."

"No, it's not that." Dick bit his lip. "I mean, I guess I did travel through time; but I didn't mean to. I was just sort of… there. Bruce's parents… you never survived. I was never there to save you and Bruce was left alone."

That in itself was hard to get out. It sank in for the family, but Dick didn't dare look up. He licked his lips and thought of how to continue. This was a lot harder than he thought it would be.

"Go ahead, Robin." Bruce prodded.

"That's where I'll start next. My name isn't Robin. My name is Dick. I go by Robin because… we'll get to that later. Bruce is—was taken care of by Alfred for a long time."

He could hear Alfred take in a short breath. Surely the scenario was playing through his head. Martha and Thomas didn't seem to be very affected by the news, most likely due to his last encounter with them.

Dick continued somberly. "Since the killer was never found, Bruce—the Bruce I knew—decided he was going to stop crime in Gotham. He trained under many people for many years and finally came back home. He became Gotham's protector and he was really good at it."

"A superhero." Damian grinned. "Father had the right idea."

Dick let a small smile cross his lips before frowning again. This was the hardest part.

"I… I lived with my parents. We traveled a lot, and when we were in Gotham for a short while, they were murdered." Dick struggled to compose himself. He missed them. He missed them so much and looking at Bruce's family, he wished he had been able to stop their murder as well. "Bruce he… he saw the whole thing and took me in. I found out about him being the World's Greatest Detective and proved myself worthy to be his partner. We've been partners for five years."

It was the most he could talk about it. Bruce never talked about it, and Dick was glad he never did. It was less painful not to.

"So Father really was a superhero."

"What was his name? Every superhero has a name." Jason grinned. "Yours is Robin, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Dick looked back and him and smiled. "It's what my parents called me."

"You didn't answer." Alfred pointed out. It seemed he, too, was curious.

"There is only one thing that terrifies Bruce Wayne." Dick answered and gave him a look. "Why don't you tell us?"

"Bats." Bruce answered. "You mean I'm… Batman?"

"Batman and Robin." Tim gave a chuckle. "It's kind of catchy; but seriously Dad, Batman?"

"It's because bats are scary." Dick explained. "Bruce wanted to put fear into the hearts of his enemies. It worked, believe me."

"How did you travel back in time?"

Dick's smile fell. He didn't want to remember. It hurt.

"So if Bruce is Batman, who is KF and Miss M?"

Dick blinked. "Oh, those are my teammates. Kid Flash and Miss Martian—"

"Martian?" Damian leapt up to his feet. "Now you're telling me there are people on Mars?"

"Yeah," Dick shrugged, "there's lots of them. Superman is a Kryptonian, so is Superboy."

Dick noticed Tim stiffen. Furrowing his brows, he thought about questioning him, but decided to leave it for another day.

"I thought you and I made up a team?" Bruce asked.

"We do, err, did, it's just… I'm also part of Young Justice. We—Me, KF, Miss M, Superboy," Dick caught the startled expression yet again, "Aqualad, and Artemis, work together on some missions from time to time. I still work here in Gotham."

"It's good to know you had friends." Martha smiled.

Dick looked back down at his shoes. Thinking about them, it reminded him just how different things were now. None of them would know him and they would all be so much older.

"I think I should go to bed." Tim stood and bid them all goodnight before making his way up the stairs.

"Tim's right, it is getting pretty late. Boys, up you go; school bright and early tomorrow." Bruce nodded towards the stairs and reluctantly his other two foster sons followed their brother.

"I'll prepare a bath, Master Bruce." Alfred left the room.

"I'll put the boys to bed." Martha stood and kissed her husband. "Damian can't sleep without you know what."

Thomas smiled. "We should really just get the boy one for Christmas."

"Don't you dare." Bruce warned. "He'll end up training it to attack Tim and Jason. Knowing Jason, he'll kill it and bury it in the backyard after a week. If he doesn't do it, Tim will."

Martha only rolled her eyes and also climbed the stairs. Bruce turned back to Dick, who sat still in the chair. Thomas also eyed the boy, wondering if he should say anything. Bruce realized the boy didn't have a room in the manor.

"You can sleep in one of the guest rooms, Dick, if you'd like. Or if you feel more comfortable in my bed, you can stay there."

Dick didn't answer, his eyes glued to the floor. His hands were starting to shake and he felt sick. The last mission he'd gone on had been disastrous. What had his team thought of him? Batman had been so furious—he started to tear up. Now Bruce was offering up his bed. It didn't feel right. They knew everything now and it was as if he'd never told them in the first place.

"Are you alright?" Bruce gently placed his hand on Dick's forehead. "You've still got a slight fever. Dad, would you…?"

"You'd best do it son, I'm old and slow." Thomas offered a small smile and Bruce left the room, off to get medicine, Dick supposed. "Are you still uncomfortable around him?"

His answer was silence. Perhaps the kid had fallen asleep with his mask on. He hadn't said a word in a few minutes, but the hitching in his breath and the swallowing told him different. The kid was trying not to cry.

"Hey, now, don't you worry." Thomas shuffled his way to Dick and placed a hand on his head, ruffling the dark hair. "We're going to take care of you Dick. You're going to be fine."

Bruce returned with two pills and a glass of water in hand. After a minute of coaxing, Dick took the pills. He refused to move from his spot on the chair, however. Deciding it was best to let Alfred handle it, Thomas went to join his wife in bed. Bruce, however, was ordered by Alfred to take the bath he'd drawn.

"Young Master Richard, you are still recovering. It's best you get some sleep."

"Alfred?" The boy's voice was quiet.

"Yes?"

"What would you do if I told you I'd done something awful?"

Alfred took in a deep breath. "I'd support you in any way I could, as long as you sought to right what you'd done wrong. As long as you were truly suffering from this burden, there really is nothing more I could do."

There was silence, and after a moment, Dick stood. "I'll sleep in one of the guest rooms Alfred. You don't have to prepare it. Thanks for dinner, good night."

"Do not thank me, sir;" Alfred answered immediately, "it is my job. If you are sure, then I suppose I will also turn in for the night. Good night."

Dick collected his things from Bruce's room, including the recently washed Robin suit and crawled into the bed of one of the guest rooms. Sleep evaded him for several hours, but by dawn he'd managed to pass out.

* * *

><p>Questions and Answers time!<p>

**KKCopper** asked how I write so quickly. Truth be told, I already have a good amount of the story written from about 3 weeks ago. I wanted to wait until I knew I could post chapters without being in a super rush to pump out another one. I do, however, write every day. Where you see the line breaks is usually where my stopping point is for the day. Well, in later chapters there are bigger gaps between the breaks, so it makes a bit more sense.

I make time every night to go on about an hour long walk around my neighborhood in the dark. I know that seems a bit scary, but when I'm in the dark I can sort of act out different scenarios without people watching me and wondering what I'm doing. I listen to a lot of background music, but I also listen to pop, rock, and various other types.

I'm curious; do you guys want links or the names of the songs that have inspired the chapter? I would be happy to if you wanted. Sort of set up an optional mood music for the chapter. If you do want it, let me know. Otherwise I'll assume it's not important or silly of me to even offer.

**haruhaze** made a comment about the Wayne's being geniuses and figuring these things out so quickly. Well, they don't call Batman the Greatest Detective for nothing. I figured Bruce would already have the intelligence and detective skills—maybe not as refined or great as Batman's, but it would still be there. You don't get to be a Robin easily, either.

Thanks so much for your reviews, guys. Once again, let me know if I've screwed up anywhere. Don't forget to tell me whether or not the optional mood music is a good idea or not.


	12. Just Let Me Patrol!

Tomorrow will be back to the normal two chapters a day schedule.

* * *

><p>To his dismay, he'd slept through a good portion of the day. Damian, Tim, and Jason were all at school, despite the snow, and Bruce was out at his various meetings and events. Martha had gone with Alfred grocery shopping and it was just Thomas reading the newspaper downstairs.<p>

He pulled his Robin suit back on and engaged his utility belt. He hadn't trained in ages, and he was feeling so much better. Before he trained, he'd wanted to go exploring. He knew the manor like the back of his hand, sure, but he'd never experienced the Manor with so many permanent occupants. First was Jason's room. The walls were covered in pictures of bikini models and what Dick assumed were rock bands. The floor was littered with clothes and various papers. The bed was simple and then Robin caught sight of a very interesting red ski mask.

Tim's room was vastly different. Organized and neat, everything had a proper place and Dick was sure Alfred had helped him with it. There was no way a kid was this neat. Not a teenager, anyways. A large desk fitted with a computer was obviously the main focus of Tim's room. Deciding to invade the boy's privacy, he hooked up his own computer and hacked his way in.

Weird. Unlike what Wally had suggested all older males had hidden away in their search history, Tim hadn't entered a single porn site. Instead, the only point of interest was a few news sites—Metropolis news sites. From the way Tim had been acting the previous evening suggested he had a healthy obsession with Superman. Or perhaps it was Superboy. He'd keep a closer eye on Tim.

Moving on, Damian's room was disturbingly cute. Despite the expected toys every ten year old owned, Dick found many, many drawings of cats. An image of Damian and Catwoman cuddling with cats caused Dick to gag. There was no way those two were friends. Absolutely not. No, maybe Damian just really liked cats.

"Freaking me out." Dick muttered to himself. A cat clock in the corner alerted him to exactly how late he'd slept in. He'd only been up for maybe an hour and already it was past three. Dick could hear the front door open and five of the six missing occupants entered the house.

"Just stay out of my business!"

"Oh please! We all know you weren't just "hanging out" in front the corner store. What were you two doing, huh? You two have been getting awful close, Timmy."

"Just shut up! God, between you and Damian I might as well just shoot myself and save you the trouble!"

"Boys!" Martha's voice cut the argument to pieces. "Homework, chores, dinner—and don't go bothering Dick!"

"Feh, of course it would be Drake to allow Kent to coerce him into utter stupidity."

"Damian, I swear if you say one more word I'll deck you!"

"Boys!" Martha shouted again.

Dick panicked. The three were stomping up the stairs and he didn't want to be forced to answer any more questions. He hid in the bathroom and was pleasantly surprised to watch as all three entered their rooms and shut their doors.

Dick hid in his room for the remainder of the day, feigning sleep whenever someone walked into his room. It was seven o' clock, an hour before dinner, and Dick knew it was now or never. He was about to sneak out the window when a voice caught him off guard.

"What are you doing?" It was cold, and irritated. "You're the only one even remotely tolerable and you plan on leaving?"

Dick turned back to see Damian. "Uh, I was just getting some air."

"Right." Damian wasn't amused and continued to frown at him. "It's freezing and you planned on just getting some air. You were going to sneak out and go be a hero, weren't you?"

"Caught red handed." Dick admitted sheepishly. "I've been cooped up, and I need some room to stretch."

"You're not leaving unless you take me with you."

"No."

"You leave without me and I'll alert everyone to your lack of presence."

"I'm not taking you with me." This kid was seriously grating on his nerves. "It's dangerous and—"

"You did it when you were my age. That's what you said last night."

"I'm special." Wow, that couldn't have sounded any lamer. "I've been trained. You haven't."

"So let me watch." Damian smirked. "You claim Father taught you, so prove it."

"I already have."

"Not to me. Drake and Todd lie to me all the time. A made up story to go along with a time traveling poser; I'm not easily swayed."

Dick sighed. "I can't be worrying about you while I'm on patrol. You wouldn't be able to keep up anyways."

"It's your choice."

Growling, he shut the window. Damian looked a bit disappointed. "You give too easily. No fun at all."

Dick pushed past the ten year old tyrant. "Threaten me again and you'll be groaning in pain for more than just a few hours."

"Prove it." Damian snarked again. "I'll call it when I see it."

* * *

><p>It was three days of awkward conversations about his health and struggling to get a good sleeping pattern before Robin finally got his chance. Unfortunately, just as he was about to jump off the icy roof, he was called out to.<p>

"Hey, Wonder Boy!"

Dick slipped momentarily and had to catch himself on the drain pipe before scrambling back up onto the roof. Looking up at him and smiling wide was Barbara Gordon.

"I knew Wayne was hiding you all to himself. How's it going, kid?"

From behind him inside of his bedroom was a very smug Damian, smirk of triumph on his face. He was really starting to hate this kid. Babs wouldn't stop talking to him once she'd managed to corner him.

"Don't you wear anything other than that costume?"

"It's not a costume." Dick answered. This Babs was more annoying than his Babs. Then again, Batgirl was always teasing him and doing whatever she could to make him "feel like he had an older sister" and it wouldn't be fair if she didn't "treat him like a younger brother".

"You were running away again, weren't you?"

"Not running away, going out on patrol." Robin deadpanned.

"Can you take off your mask?"

"No."

"I can't stand not seeing your eyes. It's sort of creeping me out." Barbara frowned when he didn't answer her. "Going on patrol, huh? Still not giving up the superhero business?"

"Gotham doesn't sleep." Robin answered bitterly. "Every night there's a chance for me to save someone."

"You still think you can save the world?"

"I don't think, I know."

Barbara scowled. "You're just a kid. You're going to get hurt."

"It comes with the job." Robin snapped. "If I don't, no one will. Not anymore, at least."

"That's what the cops are for. That's what my _father_ is for." Barbara shot back. "You should focus on going to school, getting to know your new family—"

Robin stood. They weren't his family, they were Bruce's. He wouldn't ever forget that. Dick Grayson was forever on his own.

"Where are you going?"

Robin didn't answer and promptly opened the window back up. Search party or no, he was going on patrol. He could tell it wasn't just Babs who felt this way. They all were treating him like a kid in a Halloween costume. He remembered the disapproving looks from Commissioner Gordon when he'd first started. He'd proven himself then, and he would prove himself now.

"Wait!"

Robin didn't wait. It was time to shine. Grappling hook out, he gave Barbara a look before launching off into the night.

* * *

><p>"You let him go?" Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. "He's just a kid."<p>

"I know, that's exactly what I told him. He just… flew away." Barbara chuckled at the joke. "You said he took down Two Face?"

"By himself." Jason added. "Saw it myself. Kid's got some serious skills. Not to mention toys."

"Then he should be alright." Tim shrugged. "If he can take down Two Face, then who knows what else he can do? He did say he's been doing this for five years. He's bound to know what's doing."

There was a huff from the corner of the living room. Damian was absolutely furious. That Robin kid had completely blown him off.

"We should go after him." Martha suggested. "He's only just recovered from a fever and concussion. He could relapse."

"I agree." Babs was surprised when her coat was suddenly handed to her by Alfred. "Oh, thank you."

"Let's go then." Bruce sighed. "Boys, I want you to stay here. Mom, you too. I'll take Dad, Barbara, and Alfred."

"What?" Jason growled. "I understand leaving Tim and Damian, but why can't I come?"

"It's still a school night. Besides, I don't want you get hurt."

"I lived in those streets for years, Dad. I know how to keep myself out of trouble."

Bruce frowned. "I said no. It's hard enough to keep track of three people, let alone four. Jason, stay here tonight."

Jason growled again before stalking off to his room and slamming the door. Alfred sighed. Barbara raised an eyebrow.

"Well that was tactful."

"Let's move. I'll talk to Jason in the morning."

A high pitched ringing alerted the search party and they stopped to allow Bruce to answer his cell phone.

"This is Bruce."

"_You'd better get down here to the station."_

"I'm about to go find Robin, can it wait?"

"_Oh, trust me, you don't want to wait." _

"Fine. I'll be there in five." Bruce shoved his cell phone back into his pocket after ending the call and turned back to his family and Barbara. "Change of plans. That was Jim calling; he says we should get down to the station."

"What about Dick?" Thomas asked.

"Something tells me he's involved in whatever it is the Commissioner wants."

* * *

><p><strong>AmaraRae<strong>, there is still plenty left to go, so no worries. I'm still debating on exactly how long I want to draw the story out, but it all depends. There's a lot of action coming up and I hope no one gets bored or tired of this before all the exciting parts pick up.


	13. Happy Hunting

I'm running out of things to say at the beginning of these updates. But, I think I've decided not to do the mood music thing, it seems a bit... uh... I don't really know, but I am not going to do it. Sorry.

* * *

><p>Jim Gordon shook his head. Whatever was happening, he honestly loved it.<p>

"Sir, the information checks out. All these guys are wanted for the crimes on the list."

Jim smiled. "Thank you, Abigail. Any sign of our delivery boy?"

Abigail furrowed her brows. "Sir? Do you know who delivered these guys?"

"I have a hunch." Jim lit up a cigarette. "He has a history of saving lives."

"Sir, we've got an email on a location where more guys have been detained!"

"Pursue." Jim ordered. "I'll join you as soon as my lead arrives."

Abigail and the other officer nodded, leaving him to stand in front of the station, watching as twenty criminals struggled in their cuffs and thrashed in the ropes binding them in groups of threes. Such a catch was unheard of. His call to Bruce Wayne had turned fruitful.

Robin was currently missing from the Wayne Manor. He'd gotten the call the day before alerting him to the success of the Wayne's in tracking him down and convincing him to stay with them. The kid was a godsend if he was the one behind this.

Jim didn't have to wait long, the black limousine pulled into the front of the station and several pairs of wide eyes surveyed the catch. Jim wasn't surprised in the least to see his daughter in the car. She had become far too interested in Robin.

"Dad, what is all this?"

"Most likely just the first batch." Jim answered humorously. "We got an anonymous email just a minute ago with another location and a promise of more."

"You can't possibly tell me Robin is behind this." Bruce was awed. The times Robin had saved him when wandering down the alleys in his search to find the boy, he'd moved swiftly and silently. Honestly, Bruce hadn't realized what was happening until he'd found the birdarangs.

"I believe he is. How he's doing this, I'd really like to know. I haven't told my officers yet, because honestly, if the boy is behind this I'd rather not hinder him."

"This is a message." Barbara said, grin spreading across her lips. "He's mad about what I said and now he's showing me, Dad. He's showing me I'm wrong."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him he was just a kid." Barbara laughed. "Then he told me he was going on patrol. He must be really upset. He never did any of this when we were looking for him."

"Sir, more guys were found in the given location. No sign of the perpetrator."

"Keep an eye out for more emails or phone calls."

"Yes sir."

* * *

><p>Robin smirked down at his handiwork. That was the fifty-fourth guy he'd caught. Gotham was really infested with scum without a Batman to cut it down to a manageable size. These guys were just small fry, too. Men in their early twenties, wannabe bank robbers, pick pockets, gang members, and worst of all, drug dealers.<p>

It was getting late and he was getting tired. He hated to allow the rumor of a hero spread, but he was running out of steam. It'd been a good four hours of work, and one of his yawns had almost given him away.

He sent the final email and made his way back to the station. He wanted to be sure to tell Commissioner Gordon he was serious himself.

He honestly wasn't surprised to see Bruce talking with Commissioner Gordon. He also wasn't surprised Barbara was looking for him on the rooftops. It was too bad she was looking the wrong direction. Robin waited for the opportune moment and casually bumped into Bruce.

"Robin!" Bruce was startled. Good. "Are you responsible for this?"

"Every last crook." Robin answered.

"Son, it's dangerous for you to—" Jim started, but was cut off.

"Did I miss something, or are you ignoring the fact I took down more criminals tonight than your entire police squad has in months?" Robin's voice cut through like a knife.

"Yes, you did. And that's spectacular, really it is, but I can't just let you run around Gotham doing this."

"Why not? I'm saving people, helping them by locking up the scum threatening their stores, their safety, and their children's safety." Robin crossed his arms.

"That's what we're for. That's why cops exist."

"News flash, Commissioner, but these are Gotham police! Half of them are being paid to look the other way. The other half are incompetent and don't have enough training."

"And you do?"

"Yes. I think I've proven it."

Jim stared him down. "What if you get hurt? It's happened before—hell, you were dead! Just because you're a kid doesn't mean the bad guys are going to go easy on you."

"I know that more than anyone. I've been doing this for years." Robin looked back at Bruce. "If I don't do it, who will?"

"Robin," Bruce started, "I have to agree with the Commissioner. I can't let you do this."

"Then happy hunting," Robin waved them off, "because I'll do it anyways. I don't need your permission, but I could use your support."

He grappled away and made his way back to the Manor, pissed off and disappointed. How had Batman gotten the Commissioner's support? He supposed the Commissioner would just have to come around eventually. In the meantime, it was time he became a bit more serious. Batman had a cave, so Robin needed a nest. Okay, scrap that. Robin also needed a cave. It just wasn't right.

He could use the grandfather clock as a door like usual, or he could go for something a bit different. He had no clue how Bruce had built himself the Batcave, but he would need to do something similar. The cave was huge, and ran under most of the house and some of the backyard.

The backyard… perfect. Stalking out there, Robin surveyed where he could keep a secret entrance. His eyes caught sight of a headstone. It was his, he realized. Bruce must have made it for him when he'd died protecting him. Dick read and reread the headstone, tracing his fingers over the carved words.

He couldn't give up being Robin. Smiling in the dark, Dick decided this was it. This was his entrance. No one thinks twice about graves. Since his body wasn't in the grave, there wasn't any problem digging it up. Of course, it looked like Bruce had already done that.

From his calculations, the entrance would be at the back of the cave. He set to work, not bothering to be on alert when he heard the voices calling his name from inside of the mansion. Even if they did find him out there, he wouldn't be hindered. By the time someone did look outside, he'd already dug deep enough not to be seen.


	14. M'gann, Wally, and Connor

Is anyone else insanely frustrated at the lack of Robin products out there? I can hardly find anything just Robin. It's always either just Batman, or Batman and Robin.

* * *

><p>Wally sat on his bed, facing the wall with his back to the door. Dark circles under his eyes told the world just how bad he'd been sleeping. There was a knock on the door before it opened, shedding some light into the nearly pitch black room. Wally didn't even blink. His thoughts were elsewhere, on a more serious problem.<p>

"Wally? You need to eat. Iris made some spaghetti and if I take it back to her she'll have my head, buddy."

"Not hungry." His voice was soft and hoarse.

"You need to eat." Barry pushed. "If you don't you'll die."

Wally turned to his uncle, eyes haunted, and spoke in a tortured tone. "How am I supposed to eat when my best friend is out there somewhere alone and possibly dead?"

Barry set down the spaghetti on a messy desk and pulled his nephew close to him in a hug. "We're going to find him, Wally. We're going to get him back, don't worry."

"He's just a kid." Wally's voice cracked and he couldn't hold in the tears anymore. "He's all alone and I have these nightmares. He's crying and I can't ever reach him. I'm not fast enough—not… not there. I'm his best friend, I should be there!"

"Wally, it's okay." Barry rocked him, running a hand through his hair. "We're going to find him and bring him home. He's going to be okay."

"It wasn't his fault."

"I know."

"No, you don't." Wally pulled away, furious wiping at his eyes. "I saw it. Rob, he didn't let the guy fall. He didn't kill him! It was an accident. Rob wasn't strong enough; if he held on they both would have toppled over. But Batman—"

"Bats isn't in a very good place right now Walls, he's in pretty bad shape."

"I'll never forgive him." Wally's tone darkened. "He said—Rob was hurt, Uncle Barry. Batman's supposed to be his partner and he said…"

"I don't think he'll ever forgive himself. From what I've heard, he's holed himself up, waiting for Robin to signal for help." Barry sighed. "The League detained the guy responsible, and we're forcing him to help get Robin back."

"How?"

"The guy says the portal is only one way. But if we build another portal that goes in the reverse direction, then we can go and be able to return. It's going to take some time."

Wally sat and stared at the floor in silence for a few minutes, thinking it over. "What if he's…"

"We're not thinking about that Wally. We're never going to think about that."

"Who?"

"We haven't decided, but somehow I have a feeling it's going to be Bats."

"No." Wally growled. "He's the one who hurt Rob, there's no way he's going."

"It's not up to you, Wally." Barry was firm. "Now eat the spaghetti or your aunt will kill us both."

"I'm not forgiving him."

"No one is, Wally, not until Robin does." Barry handed him the plate. "But until then, you go ahead and hate Bats, alright? If it gets you to eat, you go on hating him until you can run again; until you can run fast enough to cross dimensions yourself and bring him back."

Wally stared at the large helping of spaghetti and took it, shoving a large portion into his mouth. His uncle was right. He shouldn't be wallowing; he should be trying to do everything he could to get Robin back.

"But Wally," Barry warned, "you have to kill that hate when Robin forgives Batman. Understand? Once Robin forgives him, it's over. The end. Everything's chill again, clear?"

Wally nodded. If Robin forgave Batman, he would too. "Crystal."

* * *

><p>Two weeks had gone by since he'd started making his Batcave. It was a lot more work than he'd expected. It had taken a week to put in adequate lighting, and even then it never seemed bright enough. Bruce had reluctantly allowed him to go on patrol without a search party going after him. Dick had refused to go to school, insisting he already had a job, and he needed to focus on the bigger problem at hand. Education could wait.<p>

Alfred had discovered his secret after three days of digging. Dick had forced him to keep his secret, promising to be in bed by a reasonable hour, instead of the early mornings after patrol. He'd gotten Alfred's help while Tim, Damian, and Jason were at school. Of course, then Bruce's parents found out about it.

Not only was his patrol time cut shorter, but he was supposed to spend more time with his "brothers". He supposed it wasn't so bad, but they didn't seem to really like him much. On occasion one would try talking to him, but because most of their questions were intruding or led to a memory not wished to be recalled, his silence pushed them away.

"Young master Richard, what exactly are you doing now?" Alfred's voice echoed throughout the cave.

"Running low on supplies," Dick answered, picking up a piece of the vast amount of scrap metal sitting in a messy pile next to him, "so I'm replenishing. Don't worry, these scraps came from a junk yard. I've already checked for radio activity. It's clean."

"I'm so happy." Was Alfred's dry and sarcastic response. "Master Thomas, please tell me you didn't intend to help him build more weapons."

Thomas barked a laugh. "Wouldn't know how. I just follow orders, Alfred. Dick's really intelligent. I've never seen anyone work this efficiently."

"And I assume Lady Martha is—"

"Alfred, I need to ask a favor." Dick bounded up to the butler. "I need you to order the most high tech computer there is, then I'll need you to get me a screen sixteen feet by ten feet. It's important."

"Young master Richard, how on Earth am I supposed to find—"

"Never mind." Dick pulled up his hand computer. After a moment of pressing button and typing, a grin broke out on his face. "I just need you to pick it up in about a week."

"What did you just do?" Alfred's brows furrowed in disapproval.

"It's better if you don't know." Dick smiled and set back to work sorting through the scraps of metal.

Alfred sighed. "I shall be making lunch, then."

"Thanks Alfred. We'll take it down here."

Alfred couldn't help but to shake his head. This boy was turning them all into madmen.

* * *

><p>M'gann sighed as another batch of cookies came out burnt. She dumped the cookies with the others and started again.<p>

"Flour, sugar, milk, eggs, butter," she chanted.

It was all she could do to keep herself busy. It was reaching two months now, and it was getting harder to keep hope of Robin's survival. What if the dimension he was sent to didn't have people living on it? There could have been monsters that would have killed him, or a hostile race of people who used his bones in a ritual.

A beep brought her attention to the next batch of cookies, burnt like the rest.

What if Robin didn't even reach a planet, but was sent to the middle of space somewhere? Thoughts of death filled her head. After a particularly gruesome image she threw the tray of cookies across the kitchen, chest heaving and eyes wide.

Superboy immediately came rushing in. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

She broke down then. Tears streamed down her eyes and bent over the island, not caring that Superboy was right there. He hesitantly approached her, but she paid no mind and continued to sob. A shaky hand was rubbing soft circles on her back and after a moment she whipped around and buried her face in his chest.

"What's wrong, M'gann?"

"I can't take it anymore!" She cried. "He's been gone so long and I… I can't even imagine him alive and well anymore!"

Connor wrapped his arms around the Martian and together they sank to the floor. He held her while she cried and didn't say anything more. This wasn't a strange occurrence; M'gann often broke down and being the only other in Mount Justice, Connor did his best to just hold her until she stopped.

He wondered if Robin was alive as well. The boy was fragile; he was young and not as strong. Robin had no powers to protect him. While he had proven himself to be more than worthy of being on the Young Justice team, it was still hard not to worry about him.

"Superman told me there's been another setback in the device. We have to wait longer." Connor couldn't help the anger in his voice. "That bastard isn't helping, either. He just sits there and laughs at the League. He won't help, not even under torture."

M'gann wiped away her tears and looked up at him. "Another setback? Shouldn't we just rescue Robin and then try worry about a way home? Then we'd know if…"

"At least then we'd have something to do. If I have to wait another month I'm going to snap."

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Wally's been training." Superboy told her, standing back up. "He says he's trying to be faster, so he might be able to cross dimensions."

"Training?" M'gann stared at the messy kitchen. "Why haven't we been trying to help? Why are we the ones who have to sit down and wait?"

"We don't." Connor determined.

"But how? Wally's speed is a good idea, but neither of us have a power that could even potentially let us hop dimensions."

"Then we go find someone who can. That bastard can't be the only person with some toy." Connor clenched his fists. "I'm done waiting."

"Let's go, then." M'gann willed her outfit to change form, and it obeyed, morphing into her Miss Martian suit. "We'll use the bio ship and start our search."


	15. A Turn of Events

Dick was in a sour mood. The snow was picking up, and he couldn't help but to scowl. Alfred wrangled him into staying indoors for the night. Martha and Thomas as well, insisting he'd get sick again. He stuck to his room, one which he didn't decorate.

Tim poked his head in the door, a small smile on his face. "Dad make you stay in tonight?"

"Not Bruce," Dick grumbled. "Alfred."

"Yeah, he does that. It's hard to say no to him." Tim invited himself in and sat next to the slightly younger boy. "But you know, it is snowing pretty hard out there. How many criminals could possibly be out there in this weather?"

"More than you'd believe."

"Don't you ever get tired of it? Being a superhero I mean."

"Tired of it? No. It's more like I get tired of putting the same loons back in Arkham."

Tim blinked. "You put criminals in Arkham? How messed up are these guys?"

"Seriously?" Dick turned to Tim. "You've never heard of the Joker, Poison Ivy, Clayface, Two Face, Penguin, Black Mask, any of those guys?"

"Well, yeah, I guess. I've heard of Penguin and Two Face, but that's because they have turf wars over Gotham every other week."

"That's it?" Dick was amazed. No wonder he hadn't seen any of the others. They apparently didn't exist in this Gotham. That was weird, all things considering. Had Batman's appearance merely created criminals? Dick had never thought that was possible.

"Yep. Those are the big guys."

"Unbelievable." Dick turned back to the window, watching the snow fall.

"Do you ever take off your mask? I mean, it's not like you can't trust us."

"It's more for your safety, than mine." Dick answered. "So, no. Never."

Tim frowned, and opened his mouth to respond with something flippant, but the loud buzz of the doorbell caught his attention. Dick also turned towards the door. Curiosity got the better of them, and the two made their way towards the staircase. At Alfred's shout of surprise, the two sped faster. They met up with Damian and Jason, who were equally as worried.

Jason was down the stairs the fastest, aiding Alfred. As soon as Dick was halfway down the stairs, he caught sight of what was going on. There was a man leaning heavily against Alfred, blood flowing from a wound on his shoulder. A woman held the man's hand, tears streaming down her face. It took Dick all of three seconds to recognize them.

"What's going on?" Thomas entered. "John! Good Lord, what happened?"

"Master Thomas, we must lay him down." Alfred instructed.

Jason supported John on the other side and they hobbled to the living room, where John was laid on the couch. Martha and Bruce entered, each of them shocked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to go!" The woman cried, covering her face with her hands.

"Mary, what happened?" Martha asked, hugging the distraught woman.

"Dad, what do we do?" Tim asked, tugging on Bruce's sleeve.

"Timothy, I need a bowl of warm water. Jason, I need towels. Master Bruce, get me a pair of tweezers and some wine from the kitchen."

Immediately the four set out to retrieve the items. Dick didn't move from the staircase. He was still dressed as Robin, and his mask protected his identity, but the shock on his face was evident. Damian stuck next to him, watching him closely.

"Martha, it's awful! They came out of nowhere and… and John is…" Her words were unintelligible as she broke down into full sobs.

"Mary," John groaned from the couch.

"Easy now," Alfred soothed, "We're going to patch you up. Don't speak."

"S'alright, Mary," John got out between hisses and groans as Alfred set to work removing his shirt, "'M gonna be fine."

"Mary, please, tell us what's happened." Martha urged. "Who did this to you?"

Damian nudged him and Dick didn't dare take his eyes off of the two newcomers. Upset by the lack of response, Damian nudged him harder.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Damian hissed. "You're a superhero, aren't you? Haven't you seen blood before?"

Dick didn't answer. It wasn't the blood. No. It was the couple. They weren't supposed to be here, to be alive at all.

"It was Zucco. We just recently found evidence and he… he shot John and stole it!"

Dick flinched at the name and took a step back. Damian looked alarmed, but didn't bother to ask any questions. He turned back to the commotion in the living room. Jason, Bruce, Thomas, and Tim all returned at different times, but Alfred put them back to work with different tasks.

"Evidence?"

"Zucco murdered our son." John growled, despite Alfred digging into his shoulder with the tweezers.

Dick took another step back, his breathing quickened and his heart beat wildly in his chest. It didn't make sense. Nothing that was going on made any sense. How could he be dead? Well, how could he be dead again in this timeline? How could his parents be alive? He'd only changed Bruce's future. Why was everything else being affected?

"We finally found evidence, but one of the cops leaked information to Zucco. He—he wanted to silence us with money, but we wouldn't take it so he shot… and he took it!"

"Dad, who are these people?" Damian asked, giving up being next to Dick, who was still staring on the staircase.

"This is John and Mary Grayson. They are close friends of ours. A while back they lost their son." Thomas answered.

"Now we've lost our retribution." John muttered darkly.

"Please, can't you do something, anything?" Mary cried. "Is there any way we can get that evidence back?"

"I'm afraid I don't know of anyone remotely close to Tony Zucco. I'll do what I can. For now, rest here." Bruce answered. "We'll keep you safe."

"Thank you."

Dick snarled. He was done thinking. He was done with being cooped up. No. Zucco had harmed his family again, and he would do more than get the evidence back. He would beat Zucco into the ground and throw his ass in jail. He was out of the house before Damian could return to the staircase in hopes of dragging him into the living room.

"What was your son's name?" Jason asked softly, handing Alfred another tool.

"Richard." Mary wiped her eyes. "He was our little Robin. He was always so happy."

The room became very quiet. Tim turned to Bruce, who could only stare at her.

"Robin… Dick…" Jason said slowly. "This isn't possible!"

"How did you know we called him Dick?" John frowned and hissed again when Alfred prodded him with a needle.

"Dad, he's gone!" Damian pointed to the empty staircase.

"He's going after Zucco." Bruce ran a hand through his hair.

"What's going on? I don't understand." Mary pulled away from Martha.

"How did your son die, Mrs. Grayson?" Jason asked, eying the woman with a seriousness that would have rivaled Batman's.

"He… he fell. We worked in a circus as The Flying Graysons. It was Dick's first night and… we were told it was an accident; but we'd never be so neglectful of our equipment. We tried to prosecute, but we never had the evidence. And now… now when we've just gotten proof it's been taken away by the man who murdered him!"

"Dick said he used to travel with his parents. Dad, it's got to be him. There's too much of a connection." Tim squeezed his father's sleeve tighter. "This guy is dangerous, we need to get him back."

"What are you saying?" Mary looked torn between disbelief and grief. "I don't understand what you're saying!"

"We think your son is alive." Thomas answered. "But he's telling us another story."

Mary didn't say anything, just stared at Thomas. John stayed completely still on the couch. Jason grabbed his coat and Tim went to grab his as well, while Damian already had on his boots and coat. Bruce had other plans.

"You boys aren't stepping foot out of this house. No one is."

"Were you not listening?" Tim shot back. "Dick's in trouble. This Zucco guy is bad news and—"

"He's more than capable of handling this. He's proven himself before." Bruce answered sharply.

"You let my son go out there?" John's voice was low and dangerous. "You let my son go after that son of a bitch?"

"Let him? No." Bruce sighed. "He's far too clever to control. We've tried before and come up very unsuccessful. If Dick is out there now, we'll never find him. The only thing we can do is wait for him to come back."

Mary sank to her knees and Martha rushed forward to comfort her. "It's alright, he'll come back. He's a brilliant boy, Mary."

"Boy?" Mary's voice cracked. "Dick would be twenty this year. My boy would be a man, Martha."


	16. Zucco

I think this was my favorite chapter to write, out of what I've written so far. I'm just proud of how it came out.

* * *

><p>Robin scowled, tossing away the limp body of yet another henchman. Zucco was good at hiding, but Robin was better at finding. He climbed the mahogany stairs, back straight and lips warped into a snarl. This was it. His prey was found and he only spared a moment to email Commissioner Gordon his location. He couldn't guarantee Zucco all in one piece by the end of it, but he promised one Tony Zucco nonetheless.<p>

He kicked the door open and dodged the rain of bullets immediately hailing down on him. With acrobatic flips only he could perform, jaws were broken and ribs were cracked. Pissed off, Robin turned to the rather confident man sitting in an office chair.

"Well, well, those are some nice moves kid. You made quick work of 'em." Zucco's smile made him sick. "How about I make this easy for you? You work for me, I give you lots of money, and you go without a bullet to the brain."

Robin snarled, ignoring the glinting of the revolver in the man's hands. "Work for you?"

"Yeah, you can be my personal guard. Wait, no, you're that kid everyone's talkin' about. The hero." Zucco barked out a laugh. "I thought you were just some fairy tale. Turns out you're a dream come true for a guy like me."

"Let me educate you, Zucco." Robin stalked forward, looking a bit more threatening with each step he took. "I'm not the same kid from your memories. I can defend myself, and I can protect my family. You see, I've caught word you've gone and shot my family. I've caught word you killed me."

Zucco lifted the safety off of his revolver. "Who are you?"

"I'm going to refresh your memories, Zucco. It's been a while, and I'm in the remembering type of mood." Robin moved just as a shot was fired, round house kicking Zucco in the face before kicking the revolver away.

Zucco yelped before kicking out at him. Robin kicked him in the face before jumping on his chest, causing a couple of ribs to crack underneath his weight. Robin grabbed Zucco's tie, pulling his face forward.

"Five years ago you murdered my parents, Zucco; and now twelve years ago you killed me in the same way."

"What are you talking about?" Growled the seriously hurt man. "You a ghost or something?"

Robin grinned maliciously. "Yeah, or something. I don't think you quite remember."

He hauled Zucco onto his feet and pushed him toward the office window. Slamming his head against the glass, Robin made sure Zucco could see outside.

"How far do you think it is to the bottom? We're what, seven floors up?"

Zucco struggled, but Robin responded by grabbing his right arm and forcing it behind his back, lifting it up higher and silently threatening to dislocate his shoulder.

"That's a little higher than… say a trapeze. Huh, ring a bell to you?"

"Circus… you're here for the evidence!" Zucco growled back.

"Evidence of what?" Before Zucco could respond, Robin slammed his head harder against the glass, shattering it.

"You bitch!" Zucco groaned.

"Evidence of what?" Robin leaned him over the edge of the window, making sure he could see the street and the blurred lights of the city even as the snow fell.

"Grayson kid's murder! Now let me back up!"

"And who exactly murdered him Tony Zucco?" Robin's voice was cold.

"Go to hell!"

Robin shoved the arm in his grasp further up, effectively causing dislocation. "Already been. Who murdered him, Zucco?"

Zucco let out a cry of agony. "Little bitch! I'll kill you!"

"You already have!" Robin pushed him farther over the edge, causing Zucco's sense of balance to tip. "Answer the question!"

"Okay, okay! I did it! I killed the Grayson whelp!"

"And how did you manage that?"

"I poured acid on the lines." Zucco admitted, eyes wide and trained on the ground. "Let me up!"

"Where's the evidence?"

"Second drawer on the left!"

The sound of sirens from below caught Robin's attention. Commissioner was early, how about that? Robin pulled him back into the office, glaring at his bloodied face. Glass stuck to his forehead and nose in small shards, staunching blood flow in only a couple of areas.

Robin reached into the drawer and took out a plastic bag with a bit of rope inside. He clenched it in his fist and turned back to Zucco, who was reaching for his revolver.

"Drop the gun!" came the harsh order from the Commissioner. "Robin, is this the guy?"

"Yeah, it's him. Here's the stolen evidence and here is the recording of his confession."

"Confession? Kid, you're good."

"He's lying!" Zucco snarled. "That bitch did this to me!"

"Good. I'd have kicked harder. You got lucky." Jim snarled. "Thanks, kid."

But when Jim turned back, Robin was gone.

* * *

><p>Dick nervously paced upstairs. He knew his parents and Bruce had already traded notes. They knew, and he could tell. He didn't know what to say to them, how to react to whole situation. He supposed he would have to tell them everything.<p>

Or he could run away. Running away wasn't sounding so bad right now; but it was still snowing and tomorrow was Christmas. These were his parents. He hadn't seen them since…

He would face them. Taking in deep breaths, he started on his path down the stairs. He could hear his mother's soft voice.

"What if he's hurt?"

"We have to wait, Mary." His father answered. Dick could imagine him hugging her close. He longed to be in that embrace. "Dick will come home."

Guilt filled him, and Dick hesitantly went down another few steps.

"What the hell? You said your parents were dead!" Jason hissed from the top of the stairs.

Dick jumped, not expecting nor hearing the older boy. Of course, his exclamation was heard by all in the quiet mansion. Next thing he knew, Dick was staring at his parents, Bruce, Martha, Thomas, and Alfred at the bottom of the stairs and being attack by Damian from behind.

"Grayson, you've got some nerve sneaking away _again_!" The snarky boy wrapped his arms around his neck and his legs around Dick's torso.

"Damian, let go!" Tim chastised, pulling back on the youngest, and in effect, pulling Dick back as well. The three of them tipped off balance and landed in a heap on the stairs.

"Boys!" Martha ordered sharply.

Dick winced and pushed Damian off of him, sitting up and staring into the tearful eyes of his parents. His mother looked as if she was going to faint, and his father's lip quivered as if struggling to say something.

"Dick?" Mary called, raising her hand and reaching out for him.

Dick was frozen. He didn't know what to say and looked to Bruce for a moment before realizing that he wouldn't know what to do either.

"I… I got Zucco. The evidence is with Commissioner Gordon. He'll keep it safe."

"You are without injury?" Alfred inquired, as if it was the normal routine to ask.

"Clean. I hurt him pretty good, though." Dick tried to smile but it died on his lips.

"Well?" Jason huffed, still standing at the top of the stairs. "You going to answer my question or not?"

"My parents _are_ dead." Dick said slowly.

"You're Dick Grayson, aren't you?" Thomas furrowed his aged brows in confusion. "These are your parents. They're alive right here in front of you."

Dick bit his lip. How was he going to explain all this? He felt claustrophobic with so many people looking at him, questioning him.

"Son, please," John pleaded, "tell us what's going on."

"Can we… can we talk in the living room?" It was a poor attempt at stalling for time, but it worked.

Slowly, they moved into the living room. Dick made sure to be the last one to enter and he made especially sure to sit as far away from his parents as possible.

"Bruce?"

"Yes?"

"Did you tell them anything?" Robin didn't meet anyone's eyes and thought about his words carefully.

"Everything you've told us."

"Okay." There was silence for a minute, and it was long and tense. "I didn't lie when I told you my parents are dead. But I think I may have lied when I told you I traveled through time. I didn't. This is going to get crazier, and I'm sorry if you don't believe me. But I think I jumped dimensions."

He let it sink in.

"Because, if I had gone back in time and just changed Bruce's past, then it wouldn't affect what happened that night in the circus. Mom and Dad would still be dead and I'd still have survived."

"You're saying this is an alternate dimension because it's the opposite." Bruce nodded. "What else caused you to come to this conclusion?"

"There's a lack of major criminals here. Where's Mr. Freeze, Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy? I haven't even caught a whiff of them. Yet back in my world, they were always breaking back out. This Gotham is bad, but it's nothing like the Gotham I know. My age. I should be twenty. I've died and come back. None of this makes any sense in time travel. Besides, if I did time travel, I shouldn't have any memory of it. My life would reset."

"He's right." Tim frowned. "All things considering, he shouldn't know about how things used to be, either."

"Another dimension, huh?" Jason scoffed. "You keep changing up your story. Sounds flakey to me. Bruce Wayne, coincidentally the richest man in Gotham who has a history of adopting children adopted you in an alternate timeline. Yet, when your real parents show up, you change the story to crossing dimensions."

"Shut up, Jason." Tim snarled. "Haven't you been paying attention? He didn't even want to stay with us. We were the ones who forced him to stay so he wouldn't die out there. His parents are a major factor, too, you know. Their son is dead, and here he is. How do you explain that? What about Robin? How could he magically have the costume and know how to use the belt and pull those moves?"

"You know much I hate agreeing with Drake, but he's right, Todd." Damian turned back. "Grayson's telling the truth."

"But how?" John demanded. "How can you just cross dimensions like that?"

"I was thrown through." Dick answered. "I… I had a fight with Batman and someone threw me into a window and I woke up in that alley. That's when I saved Bruce. I didn't even know it was him."

"Can we… can we speak to Dick alone, please?" Mary asked, squeezing her husband's hand a little harder.

The Wayne family immediately moved out of the room, shutting doors to give them some privacy. Dick was left sitting in his chair, nervously biting his lip.


	17. The Flying Graysons

Here's some emotional angst for y'all. You know I just can't stay away from this, right? It had to be done. From yesterday's response, I'm tempted to post three chapters today. The problem is we're catching up to where I'm at in my writing. I don't know if I can pump out two chapters a day until the story is done. Sorry, but pretty soon I may have to cut back to one a day.

* * *

><p>"Dick, son, I don't know how or why you're here, in front of us," John started slowly, "but you'll understand if we ask you to prove you are who you say you are. All of this time travel and dimensional travel has us a bit confused."<p>

"Proof?" Dick looked up into the eyes of his parents. "You want me to perform? Or answer questions? DNA test? Anything."

"Dick, what is our family tradition during Christmas?" Mary asked, looking extremely hopeful.

"Which Christmas?" Dick asked immediately. "The one with the circus family or our private family?"

She didn't bother replying, instead crossing the room and gathering him up into a hug. "Oh Dick, it is you!"

His father was instantly there as well, pulling the two of them close to him. Dick was overwhelmed. He hadn't hugged anyone in so long. And to be hugged by his parents… his parents who were here, and not a dream or illusion from Scarecrow's gas or Poison Ivy's poison. This was real.

They held the embrace for several minutes, Mary sobbing into her son's shoulder and John pressing his nose into Dick's hair affectionately. Dick wasn't really sure what to do, where to put his hands, or even if he should say anything. He just stood there, taking in the scent of his mother's perfume and the strength of his father's arms around him.

"I'm so sorry!" His mother sobbed.

Dick's heart wrenched in his chest and he held his breath. What was she saying? What was she saying and why was she saying this?

"I'm so sorry, Dick," She repeated, tightening her arms around him. "I couldn't do anything but watch as you…"

Oh no. No, no, no, she was taking away everything he was supposed to say. He tried to back away from her, but she refused to release him.

"Mary, it's not your fault. I'm your father, Dick, I should have been watching out for you. I let that bastard take you away from us. Please, forgive me."

No, this was all wrong! Dick squirmed and finally managed to free himself, looking horrified. Mary sank to her knees and continued to sob. John looked pained just looking at him. If anything, it was Dick who should be on his knees asking for forgiveness.

"No." Dick shook his head. "No."

"I understand that you don't forgive us—" John was cut off.

"No! No, that's not it!" Dick frantically waved his arms and shook his head. "I… you… You didn't do anything wrong!"

"We let you die, son!" John argued, pain lacing every word.

"It's not you," Dick swallowed, trying to push back the emotions threatening to explode. He'd kept it bottled up for so long, and here was his chance to let it out. "who should be apologizing. It's me, Dad. I didn't… I couldn't do anything but stand there and you…"

John embraced his son once more and rocked him gently from side to side. It was comforting and Dick knew he'd been forgiven. His mother found the strength to join in the family hug once more and after a couple of minutes Dick was sat down, a parent on either side of him.

"How old are you?" Mary asked.

"Thirteen."

"You're so handsome, but it would be nice if I could see your eyes, Richard."

Dick frowned. He didn't really feel comfortable taking off his mask. These were his parents, sure, but it made him feel vulnerable. Reluctantly, he peeled off his mask and looked his mother in the eye. She smiled and stroked his cheek, pulling his forehead to hers.

"I always knew you'd be handsome."

"A real lady killer, eh?" John smiled for the first time and squeezed Dick's shoulder. "Any girls you like?"

"No."

"So you're into men, then? Hey, don't worry about it, we don't judge."

"What? No!" Dick pulled away from his mother to stare at his father in disbelief. Just because he wasn't into any particular girl automatically meant he was gay? His father was stranger than he'd remembered.

"Dick, come home." Mary squeezed his hand.

"Mom, I—"

"Dick, whether it's you from the future, the past, or another dimension, we love you all the same. You're still our son." John interjected.

Dick stood up and pulled himself away. "Mom, Dad, I can't."

"What's stopping you?" Mary demanded, voice still soft, but brows furrowed. "Is it the Waynes?"

"It's not them." Dick bit his lip. Okay, maybe that was part of it. "Bruce has his own family now, but I know you. I know you'll worry."

"You don't mean to quit playing hero, do you?" John's voice took a dangerous low. "Dick, tonight you got lucky. You're not hurt and you managed to get Zucco, but you're just a ki—"

"Don't say it!" Dick balled his fists. "Don't you dare say I'm just a kid. I'm not."

"You're not a man yet, son."

"You don't understand!" Dick pulled his mask back on. "This is who I am now! I'm Robin."

"You're our son, Richard John Grayson. Why are you acting like this?" Mary swallowed back the furious tears threatening to make themselves known. "Why are you putting yourself in danger?"

"I'm not the same person as your son; the son who's in his grave wondering why his parents are replacing him. I'm sorry, but I can't. If I don't do this, who will? There's no Batman anymore to protect Gotham."

"The police—" John started, only to be cut off by Dick once more.

"The same ones who leaked information to Zucco? You know as well as I do 90 percent of them are corrupt and the other 10 are useless." Dick took a deep breath. "I've proven myself before to Bruce, to Commissioner Gordon, to everyone. I took down Zucco and retrieved the evidence. Why isn't that proof enough for you?"

"You're going to get yourself killed!" Mary stood and took a few steps toward Dick, who took just as many back.

"I'm not _your_ son. My parents are dead, and while I love you, I can't stay with you. I wish I could go back in time and save you. You don't know how hard I wish it was me instead of you."

"Don't say that." Mary whispered. "Please, don't ever say that."

"I was trained to do this." Dick looked at them pleadingly, although they couldn't see his eyes, his body language spoke all. "Please, you have to understand. I'm saving people. I'm saving this city. I _know_ you; I know that you'll either try to stop me every night or you'll try to come with me. I can't let you do either."

"Why you?" John asked. "Why does it have to be you who saves Gotham? There are plenty of other superheroes! Superman can fly, the Flash has his speed! Someone else can take over this, Dick. The Justice League will—"

"Justice League?" Dick's eyes widened. "There's a Justice League here?"

"Of course there's a Justice—why?"

"I can go home. If I can hack into—Mom, Dad, I have to leave. I don't belong here. If I stay with you, if you convince me to stay with you, it makes parting harder."

"Why can't you stay?"

"I'm from another dimension. Being here physically is causing an imbalance. In fact, any minute now this universe could collapse." Dick hadn't thought about that. Then again, he'd only just put the pieces together. "It's not safe for me to stay. I need to find a way back home."

There was a heavy silence.

"What about in the meantime? From what I gather this dimension hopping isn't exactly easy." John said. "You don't even know how you got here in the first place."

"True, but I can send a signal through the Watch Tower. I doubt the League will just let me in, so I'm going to have to hack it."

"Hack the Justice League base?" Tim's loud whisper was clearly heard through the door.

"Shh! You idiot!" That was Jason.

"Way to go, Drake, they probably heard you."

"I can still hear you!" Dick called over his shoulder.

"You still didn't answer us, Dick." Mary noted. "Will you stay here?"

"Yeah, if Bruce will have me. I mean, the Batcave still isn't finished. I'll need to get it set up before I can even begin to hack the JLA system." Dick frowned. Between patrol and working on the Batcave, it was going to be a rough couple of weeks—if the universe even held for that long. He'd already been here for over two months.

"We can visit, then?" Mary took Dick's right hand in hers. "You won't have a problem with it, will you?"

"Sure." Dick slumped. "I'm sorry I can't go live with you. It's hard on me, too."

"We understand now, son. You be careful, alright?"

"Are you leaving?"

"It's late," Bruce interjected from a now open door. "Why don't you stay here? Honestly, we wouldn't mind you staying here until Dick ends up going home."

"No," John declined, "Dick is right. It's hard enough, losing a son once. Getting so close and having to say goodbye again is too hard for us. We'll stay the night and visit twice a week."

"I'll show you to your room." Alfred led the way, and Dick watched them climb the stairs.

Seeing them again after so long was tough, and he was emotionally exhausted. Damian managed to jump him behind and push him face first into the carpet.

"What's this about a Batcave, Grayson?"

"Brat's right. You've been hiding things from us and it's not nice." Jason pulled Damian off of Dick, much to the dismay of the youngest.

"Not appreciated, Todd."

"Just shut up for once, will you?" Tim hissed. "Give the poor kid a break."

"Enough, go to bed." Bruce shooed them away and helped Dick back to his feet. "It's already past midnight. Time for bed."

Dick hummed in response, eyes drooping. Bruce smiled and shook his head. He ushered Dick up the stairs and into his room, helping him get out of his Robin suit and into something more suitable for sleeping. Truly, he was fascinated by every inch of the Robin suit. Such craftsmanship went into the design and secret pockets.

It was a work of art.

And then Bruce imagined his own Batman suit. He'd have to make Dick draw it up for him. All of his dreams as a kid of being a hero, just like the vulnerable boy in front of him were rekindled.

"A Batcave, huh?"

"It is quite the feat, Master Bruce." Alfred said, a knowing smirk on his face. "The boy built it nearly himself. Of course, he did manage to access many of your funds. I assure you, however, that he spent only a few hundred thousand."

"A few hundred thousand?" Bruce stared down at the sleeping boy.

"Sir, he is leaving eventually. So I imagine you will inherit it. He seems to know exactly what goes where and has set to work building an impressive and very dangerous motorcycle."

"Who taught this kid?" Bruce muttered to himself.

"I believe you did, sir." Alfred answered. "Might I draw you a bath?"

"No, I think I'll go straight to bed. Thank you Alfred."

"No need to thank me, sir, it is my job after all. If you tortured me endlessly for hours I may just admit to have taking a liking to it."

"Oh really? Only now after over thirty years of service?"

"Until many, many hours of torture, sir."


	18. Putting On a Brotherly Muzzle

Here's some brotherly banter for y'all.

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><p>Dick woke with two pairs of arms wrapped around him. Tensing, his Robin instincts were instantly telling him how to get out of the situation. He relaxed when his mother's perfume wafted into his nose. The light, airy smell eased him quickly back into sleep, a smile gracing his lips.<p>

The second time he awoke was very different. He was wrapped up in his comforter and fighting to release himself from his confines. His mask was off and sitting on the nightstand, he was drenched in sweat, and he was breathing hard.

Nightmare.

He didn't remember it, but he could guess what it was about. He was spared any tears, but waking up frightened and not knowing why was awful enough. He applied the calming techniques Batman had taught him and found he wasn't alone in his room.

Jason was leaned up against his closet door, arms crossed and analyzing him carefully, but not giving any hint as to what he was there for.

"What?" Dick asked.

"You were thrashing so hard I could hear it in my room." Jason frowned. "It's eleven and I know a few people who really want to see this Batcave of yours. Alfred is being swarmed by the brats and Dad is trying to wrangle out the location from Grams and Gramps."

"You thought you'd come to the source." Dick smirked and shook his head. "It's in a secret location, you know."

"Backyard under the Robin grave." Jason answered. "Saw Alfred come out of it once."

"Getting in is different than coming out." Dick smirked. "The Batcave was the first thing I ever saw in regards to Batman. Of course, it was only after I found it that Bruce had to sit me down and tell me everything. Well, not everything. Alfred filled in some bits."

"I've found your cave, now spill."

"Do you ever lighten up?" Dick quirked an eyebrow. "Seriously, you are so not whelmed."

"You've been here for three weeks and I've hardly seen you. When you aren't out doing your thing, you're in that cave or asleep." Jason puffed up his chest a bit in an attempt to show authority. "It's hard to be chill with some kid you don't know."

"Fair enough." Dick smiled and reached over, slipping on his mask. "So, what? You don't want to see the cave? What then?"

"The demon child is constantly harassing you about taking him with you out on patrol."

"You want me to take him?"

"No, I want you to take me. The others may buy into this superhero thing, but I don't. Sure, you've got a belt from hell that shocks people on command, but that's just a toy."

Ah, what an interesting development. Dick couldn't help but to grin. "I was starting to wonder when Bruce's kids would adopt his natural need for knowledge and evidence. I get it; I'll take you all out. No problem, as long as you stay on the roof and watch."

"Why just watch?" Jason pulled out his blade. "I'm good at this, really good."

"A knife? Dude, that doesn't stand a chance against guns. I know what you're thinking, then what do I use?" Dick put up his fists. "These guys. I'm faster than your average thug, I've got a million weapons stored in my utility belt, and I can fly."

"You can fly?" Jason deadpanned. "As in the superpower? Because all I saw was that grappling hook of yours and it didn't work out so great for you the last time."

"It's because I had to lug two extra people. I was weighed down." Dick answered defensively. "But no, I'm not talking about that. I can fly without any nets, wires, or powers."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Tonight, then. I'll show you the cave after breakfast."

"Too late for breakfast." Jason smirked. "Alfred's already starting lunch."

Dick shook his head, and pulled on his boots, and cape. He didn't bother with his gloves since he'd be eating soon. The closed door to his room was shoved open and an enraged Damian burst in.

"I knew it! Only you would go against Father's orders and wake up Grayson!"

"He didn't wake me up, Damian," Dick sighed, "I woke up by myself."

"Quit defending him, Grayson! He's not playing on an even battleground. No, Todd is insufferable and always resorts to cheating."

"Back off, brat," Jason snarled, "before I throw you through that door."

"As if I'm scared of you." Damian spat back, disregarding Dick's frustrated sigh, "Father will have your head if you ruin another door."

"Damian, I'm taking you out on patrol tonight."

"What?" Instantly the boy's attitude changed to one of triumph. "So! You finally see reason, Grayson!"

"But," Dick added with a mischievous smirk, "only if you can stay out of any fights, verbal or physical, until patrol."

Damian's eyes narrowed. "You're putting a muzzle on me?"

"You can talk all you want, you just can't fight." Dick walked past him and out into the hall. "It shouldn't be that hard; especially since if I take you on patrol, you can't say a single word. It'll give away your position and if you compromise my patrol at all, I'll take you straight home."

Damian growled and folded his arms across his chest with a huff. "Fine. You play as dirty as Todd."

"Asterous." Dick replied, making his way down the stairs. "Is Bruce here or at a meeting?"

"Charity event." Jason answered.

"Figures. Where's Tim?"

"Chatting with his boyfriend."

"He has a boyfriend?"

"Trying to hide it, but failing miserably."

"We're just friends!" Tim called from the living room. "I don't make fun of you and Roy!"

"Roy and I don't hug." Jason shot back easily. "We're _men,_ not hormonal little boys who can't admit to being in a relationship."

Damian opened his mouth to retort something just as bruising before he was given a snarky look from Dick. He closed his mouth and muttered under his breath.

"No comment from the angry Chihuahua?" Tim quirked an eyebrow. "It's a Christmas miracle."

"Golden Boy made a deal with him." Jason leaned over Damian and ruffled his hair.

"A deal? What kind of deal?"

"The same one I'm about to offer to you. Do you want to go on patrol with me tonight?"

Tim's eyes lit up. "Yes. I mean, is Dad okay with that?"

"What he doesn't know won't kill him, Drake." Damian smirked.

Tim stewed on the thought for a minute. "If we're caught, we're dead, you know that right? Dick will be slaughtered for even taking us out and we'll never see the sky again."

"I'll handle Bruce." Dick volunteered. "Besides, this Bruce is so much softer than the one I'm used to."

"Dad is just the first half of the problem. The other half is Grams, Gramps, and Alfie." Jason frowned. "Nothing gets past Alfred."

"Pennyworth does seem to have eyes on the back of his head."

"Ears, too, young master Damian." Alfred entered from behind them, a tray of hot chocolate steaming and awaiting the children to drink. "Young master Richard, a word please."

The foster kids of Bruce Wayne all instantly took a cup of the hot chocolate and looked elsewhere as Dick guiltily followed Alfred into the kitchen.

"While I understand young master Damian has been pestering you about your nightly duties, I'm afraid bringing him along, even dragging all of them along, is extremely inadvisable."

"I know Alfred, but I'll place them on the roof and they'll just watch."

"I'm afraid you don't realize just how dangerous it is."

"Even if someone does notice them—"

"That is precisely what I'm talking about. Someone _will_ most definitely notice them. Those three have never gone a day without some sort of shouting match. Each has their own unruly attitude, and Master Bruce, Master Thomas, Lady Martha, and I have a hard enough time stopping potential murders."

"I've got Damian under control for tonight. I made him promise not to fight with anyone all day and stay completely silent during patrol." Dick smiled. "Tim will agree, he's sensible, and Jason—what is his problem? I don't think he likes me much."

"You did shock him." Alfred turned to start cleaning some dishes. "I believe he also holds a grudge for something you've done long ago in the past."

"You're talking about saving Bruce."

"Indeed. Master Jason has been comparing himself to you, despite knowing you were dead, and has never found himself good enough. I believe the term he's adopted is Golden Boy, because from everything Bruce has told him, you can do no wrong. Do not take it personally, Master Richard, the boy grew up on the streets. All of those boys have their own problems they have been trying to work through."

"Never do wrong, huh?" Dick looked down at the floor. "He couldn't be more wrong. Alfred, let me show them what I can do. Let me show them a piece of the Bruce I know. I just want to connect with them."

"Even though you are leaving?"

"Yeah, even though I'm leaving. I've never had brothers, and I just want a chance to feel like I do."

"Very well, I will keep this a secret. However, if those boys reveal this secret by accident or not, the consequences are yours to face."

"Thanks, Alfred."

"One more thing," Alfred put down the bowl he'd been cleaning and picked up a knife, "if one of those boys is hurt at all…"

"I know, Alfred," Dick laughed. "You said the same thing to Bruce about me!"

Dick all but skipped out of the kitchen, enjoying the bewildered expression on the butler's face.


	19. The Batcave

Today I'll be updating twice, but I think tomorrow I'll start cutting it back to one a day.

* * *

><p>Jason watched closely as the young vigilante typed in the necessary code in a secret compartment built into the headstone. The headstone moved to the right, revealing a downward spiral of stone stairs.<p>

"Down we go. Watch your step and wave to the bats."

"Bats?" Damian scoffed. "In the Batcave? Clever."

"Not my idea." Dick reminded him.

It took approximately three minutes to get down to the actual cave, and Jason couldn't help but to stare in awe. He'd had no idea such a thing even existed in their backyard. The cave was huge, and there were several rows of gadgets lining the walls on shelves. An unfinished motorcycle sat in the center of the cave, and the biggest computer set up he'd ever seen took up an entire wall and seemed to be the focus of the cave.

"Very impressive, Grayson." Damian immediately set to work exploring every inch of the cave.

"Welcome to the Batcave. This is the first thing I saw before I became Robin. Pretty cool, right?" Dick kept a watchful eye on Damian, who had picked up a birdarang and ran his finger along the edge of the "wing", cutting himself. "Don't touch those. I don't want you to accidently kill yourself with them."

"Nice bike." Jason ran his hand over the handlebars.

"It's not done yet. I still the extra boosters. Not to mention the system isn't fully set up yet, so it'll be a bit before I can get it to ride without my controls. Once I hook up the GPS to it I'll be able to call from wherever."

"How did you make all this?" Tim asked.

"Believe it or not, but this cave is so empty. At least half of the cave was full of Batmobiles. Then you've got the T-Rex, the giant penny, I could go on forever."

"Dad got busy, huh?" Jason's attention was turned to the computer screen.

"Looks like a theft on 53rd. In the snow I won't be much help right now." Dick frowned.

"Then what good is it to go on patrol?"

"Patrol is different. I'm already out there and can easily make it across town. To try and take the R-Cycle out would be suicide. It's also broad daylight. I draw too much attention to myself." Dick pressed a few buttons on the screen. "Besides, 90% of crimes happen at night."

"So you're just going to let it go?"

"I didn't say that. I've already faxed the information to the Commissioner. He's close and they have a better chance at nabbing the guy."

Robin spent the rest of the day showing them how his gear worked. They took a break for dinner, each of them keeping their little secret about the future escapade. Nightfall came quickly after that, and when all the boys were in bed and Robin had "left" for patrol, their plan was put into action.

"Right here." Dick opened his arms up on the roof of one of the taller buildings. The snow was mostly melted and the temperature was about 40 degrees. "This is the best view in Gotham."

"How are we supposed to see you?" Tim asked, looking over the edge at the grungy Gotham.

"Wait for it." Dick smirked and counted down from five silently.

The door to the roof opened and a woman came through, hauling a chair, a blanket, a notebook, a walky-talky, and binoculars. She looked up and jumped, surprised to see them there.

"Barbara?" Jason quirked an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"

"H-How did you know?" Babs asked, looking extremely embarrassed.

"I know when I'm being watched." Dick crossed his arms and gave a playful smirk.

"How long have you known?" Babs pouted, setting up her chair anyways.

"Two weeks."

"From the get go, huh?"

"You have a couple pairs of binoculars these guys can borrow? They've been bugging me about patrol."

"Yeah, sure. You're okay with this?" Babs rummaged through her stuff and pulled out another pair of binoculars.

"I would've said something earlier if I wasn't." Dick adjusted his cape and gave a thumbs up. "Besides, with you monitoring, I don't have to email in my catches."

"So you noticed that as well." Babs took her walky-talky and pressed a button. "Cover blown, Dad."

"_It was only a matter of time." _Jim's crackled voice responded.

"He says he's fine with it. Oracle out."

"Oracle? What are you, a superhero too or something?" Jason shook his head. "At this rate the definition of superhero is delusional."

"It's a code name, Jason. Besides, you're in for a real treat tonight." Barbara waved off Dick. "Go, do your thing. Rumor has if 54th is going to be busy tonight."

"Thanks, Babs." Dick turned to the boys. "Stay here, don't fight, and don't get caught."

"Whatever." Damian huffed.

Robin jumped up onto the ledge of the roof, gave a mock salute, and fell backwards. The boys lurched, looking over the edge just as Robin pulled out his grappling hook and "flew" away. His echoing cackle was borderline creepy.

"We won't be seeing anything for another hour, so get comfortable." Babs wrapped the blanket around herself, a smile on her face. "It's been two weeks and I'm still amazed."

"We saw him take down Two Face," Tim told her, "but he was pretty beat up by the end of it."

"I could've taken him." Jason scowled. "I'm not helpless like you."

"But Dick's got his utility belt and that Batcave." Tim countered. "I don't think you could beat him."

"Grayson is just playing hero." Damian put his two cents in. "He takes out the small fry. Two Face got away and he ended up with a concussion. That's _so_ heroic."

"Wait a second, Dick Grayson?" Barbara's eyes lit up. "You mean the one who died twelve years ago? The circus boy, right?"

"Shit." Jason swore, smacking Damian upside the head. "Way to go, moron. Now she knows."

"So? What's she going to do about it?"

"She's police… practically. The whole thing about superheroes is the secret identity bit." Tim growled.

"You're no help, either, gay boy." Jason snarled. "Mister Dick-took-down-Two-Face, yeah, you're just as stupid."

"Shut up. Kon and I are just friends, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"How many times do you tell yourself that at night?" Jason shot back. "Ten times as many should convince me."

"How's that even possible?" Barbara interrupted, abandoning her blanket. "I knew he wasn't normal. I mean, he saved Mr. Wayne like thirty years ago."

"He's from—" Tim started, but clamped his mouth shut. Jason was right; he was almost as big of a blabber mouth as Damian.

"From where?" Barbara's eyes narrowed. "What do you know?"

"Quit prying, fire crotch." Jason pulled Tim behind him. "It ain't any of _your_ business."

"He talks to me just as he talks to you."

"Right, that's why he's told you everything and not us." Damian scoffed. "Gordon, you're better off playing watchtower."

"Is that right?" Barbara's voice reached a dangerous low, and her hand went to her hip. "I suppose you wouldn't mind me calling Mr. Wayne, then? I'm sure he knows exactly where you're at right now."

Damian's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?"

"Yes, it is."

Jason pulled his knife. "Yeah? Well now I'm threatening you back."

Barbara smirked, upholstering the gun she now kept hidden in the back of her jeans. "I wouldn't tango with me."

Jason scowled and returned his knife to his pocket. "Bitch."

Barbara holstered her gun and took out her cell phone. "Tell me what you know and Mr. Wayne doesn't know."

"Be specific," Tim answered, "or you're going to get vague answers."

Jason caught on to his brother's plan. They wouldn't have to answer if she didn't ask. Damian's focus was down on the streets. They were high enough that someone wouldn't be able to clearly hear their conversation.

"Is Robin Dick Grayson?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"He was born that way." Came Tim's witty remarks. "Do you want the details or not?"

"That's not what I meant. I meant how is he that young?"

"He told us time travel." It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't a lie either.

"Time travel? Seriously?"

"No." Damian answered irritably. "He's from another dimension. Now will you please shut up? I think I hear something."

Barbara wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or serious, but gave up on her questions and went to the side, pulling up her binoculars. Tim mirrored her movements.

"You don't need those, look!" Jason pointed to the left and the four of them watched enraptured as a boy in black in red did several impressive flips backwards out of the way of gunfire.

"Twenty rounds a second and you're still too slow!" Robin mocked, kicking the man down onto the ground.

The man cursed and reached for his gun, but Robin stomped on his hand before kicking the gun away. He pounced again on an unseen foe, but the four clearly heard his cries. Dragging out the two, he bound them together using strip ties.

"That was… underwhelming." Damian huffed.

"He's nowhere near done. That was only a couple of drug dealers, anyways. It's when he catches some of Two Face's men, or goes after the Penguin himself that things get exciting."

"Sure doesn't look that way."

"He flips and flies. I've seen him use his little bird things and a few smoke grenades. Once he used a flash bomb, but since I wasn't it expecting it, I didn't get to see him take out the four guys then." Barbara sighed. "There's something about watching him work. I don't know how he does it, but it's as if he knows all of their moves."

"Sounds like someone has a crush." Jason teased.

"Ew. He's thirteen."

"Whatever cougar." Jason rolled his eyes. "You're just as bad as Tim."

"If you say one more thing I'm shoving you off of this roof." Tim snarled.

"Grayson doesn't know what he's doing." Damian said, puffing out his chest and before Tim could reach out and grab him, climbed over the edge of the roof.


	20. Hyena Troubles

Sorry, this is a little on the short side. Since I'm cutting back, I'll try to make 'em longer.

* * *

><p>"Damian!" Tim called, turning another corner. There was no sight of him or Dick anywhere. "You little brat, I'm going to kill you!"<p>

He was met with silence, and reluctantly, Tim did the only thing he could think of. He took out his cell phone and dialed a number he knew by heart. After a few rings, the person on the other side picked up, words slurred together in a sleep filled haze.

"Kon? Hey, I know it's late, but I'm in a bit of a situation."

There was a crash, a loud banging sound, and a couple of "ow"s mixed in together. Kon had probably hit his head on something or maybe even rolled off the bed.

"_What kind of situation? Are you okay? It's like midnight!"_

"Uh, I can't really spare you any details, but I'm in downtown Gotham looking for my little brother."

"_Damian ran away?"_

"What? Well, sort of." Tim frowned. He was starting to become unfamiliar with this part of town. There was a bit more trash than usual, and it was a bit darker than he was used to. "Listen, you always show up fast, so I was wondering if you could help me out. See, if Bruce finds out we're dead."

"_I'll be there in ten minutes. Where are you?"_

"I… don't know, actually. I thought I was near—uh oh."

"_Tim? What? What's going on?"_

Tim couldn't find his voice. There was at least four of them, growling and snarling. Tim tried to back away while they were distracted, but one snapped its head to the side and caught sight of a very terrified Tim.

"_Tim? Answer me!"_

"Get here fast!" Tim shouted, hanging up his phone and running.

The hyenas instantly went in for the kill, snapping their jaws and barking. Tim ran as fast he could, trying to keep to the main streets. He couldn't risk to be corned in an alley, and Kon would have no way of finding him down some alley.

At this point he screwed over trying to find Damian. If he wasn't dog food by the end of this, he'd make sure to tear the brat apart.

Barbara nearly slipped on the slush coating one edge of the sidewalk. She managed to catch herself, her soft gasp and then sigh of relief creating a rather large visible puff of air in the frigidness of the night. She shoved her hands back into her pockets and kept her eyes open for any of the Wayne boys.

No, not the Wayne boys. Only one of them had taken up Bruce's name, the older two keeping their given surnames. It was curious, since the boys considered Bruce their father. She would have to inquire about that another time.

Jason had run in the opposite direction as her, cock sure Damian had run off away from where Robin had been fighting the criminals. Tim had taken another direction and before she knew it, she'd been abandoned. It was dangerous and she was the only one with a weapon.

Okay, she admitted to herself, Jason did carry a knife, but what good would that do against machine guns or rifles?

"Idiots, we shouldn't have split up." Barbara muttered to herself. "I'm going to kill Damian."

"Hey there, whatcha doin' out so late?"

Barbara instantly snapped her head to the right, eying a man leaning against his car. He smirked at her and gestured for her to come to him.

"Hey, babe, I'll take you home. It's kinda cold out here."

"Not interested." Barbara snapped, memories of a darker time flooding her.

"Don't be like that, we can go to a bar, get a drink." His offer sounded sincere, but the lecherous look on his face wouldn't fool anyone. "Red your natural hair color?"

That was it. In a flash she had pulled out her gun, making sure he saw the glint of metal.

"Leave me alone!"

"Whoa, okay," he put his hands up, "you a cop? I didn't mean for no trouble."

"Get in your car and drive away." She ordered.

"What? Okay." He moved slowly, getting in the driver's seat and driving off faster than the speed limit allowed.

"Well, that was quite a feat." A smooth voice called from a bus stop just a block away.

Barbara turned, gun still in hand. "Who are you?"

"Calm down," It was a woman; a red head with unrivaled beauty. "I find those dogs just as disgusting."

Barbara lowered her gun, but didn't dare put it away. Women were just as dangerous.

"Although, guns aren't my style." The woman smiled fondly at her and patted the bench next to her. "I prefer a less threatening way. Men are creatures easily susceptible to persuasion."

"Oh?"

"Yes," the woman noticed Barbara hadn't moved, and gave up patting the bench, "and it's even better when they don't even realize they're being persuaded. The name's Ivy."

"That's a lovely name, but I'm afraid I can't stay to chat. I'm looking for someone."

"Is it a handsome boy?"

"That depends on what you consider handsome."

"One ran this way," She jerked a thumb towards an alley, "yelling and hollering."

"How old?" Barbara asked. Despite the slight sense of danger she felt coming from this beautiful woman, she was being awfully helpful.

"I'd say a young teenager."

Tim, most likely. Dick wouldn't be looking for Damian. In fact, he probably didn't even notice none of them were on the roof anymore.

"Thanks."

"Hey, before you leave," Ivy produced a small picture and handed it to Barbara, "I'm also looking for someone. She was supposed to meet me here, but it seems she got lost."

Barbara took the picture and analyzed it. It was a picture of Ivy, dressed in a rather interesting, yet flattering green outfit and another woman, blonde hair, blue eyes, and almost equally as beautiful.

"If you see her, tell her Ivy is waiting." There was a hint of irritation lacing her voice, but Barbara ignored it and passed back the picture.

"Sure, thanks for the help." Barbara waved and started down the alley. It opened up at the other end and she turned right.

* * *

><p><strong>KKCopper<strong>, I actually watched Batman: the Animated Series as a kid and not only saw it there, but in the Batman comics as well. Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of legos.


	21. No No Fine

Oh man you guys, I have such big plans in store it's not even funny.

* * *

><p>Jason scowled, rounding another corner. He was really getting sick of stray ads and small cut up porn pictures getting stuck to his shoe due to the slush. Did people really have to just throw their crap all over the streets?<p>

The answer was yes. This was Gotham, after all. Dirt and grunge and whatever else coated the city like metal to a magnet. There was no escaping it. He gave up calling for the devil's child, figuring it was better to just sneak up on the brat and maybe casually put his knife to his throat.

It wouldn't hurt to apply a little pressure, either, just as punishment for running off like a moron in the middle of the night when they were supposed to stay put—on second thought, why was he bothering with some rules put on him by a wannabe thirteen year old superhero in tights?

Damian had the right idea. Jason smirked and decided to enjoy this little stroll. Then the reality of the situation hit him. Damian was just a kid, a brat, but still a kid. There were always dangerous criminals running around at this time of night. Damian would have no way of protecting himself.

If Damian died Bruce would never let them out of the house again.

Oh yeah, that's why he was obeying Golden Boy's rules. He was going to show Golden Boy up, do him one better and catch more criminals than he ever had. That was the plan, and unless he found Damian, the plan was screwed over.

"Stupid ass kid," Jason growled, "gonna beat his ass into tomorrow."

"Is that a threat, Todd?" came a growl from behind him.

"It's a promise, you little shit! What the hell do you think you're doing? You don't remember the plan at all, do you?"

"I'm done with waiting. Grayson isn't doing it right. As soon as I find him, I'll show him exactly what to do."

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're so stupid. There's a reason why we make him teach us all this crap. He's got the Batcave, remember? He's got all the fancy little toys and we don't. Unless you want Dad to lock us all up, you better follow my ass back to that roof. With any luck, Timmy will be smart enough to stop looking and return to base."

"So that's why, huh?"

Jason turned around to see Robin sitting on the top of a lamp post, a deep scowl on his face.

"I thought it was just a bit of curiosity." Robin's tone reached a dangerous sarcastic. "You know, the whole I-want-to-see-what-my-almost-brother-does type of curiosity."

"Yeah?" Jason shot back. "Well it's not. It's the teach-me-how-to-do-all-this-so-I-can-kick-your-ass sort of curiosity. You're not the only one who can do this, you know."

"No, really?" Dick bit back sarcastically. "I totally hadn't figured that out."

"Grayson, you're being insufferable. Explain yourself." Damian demanded, crossing his arms.

"I'm not the only one, you know. There are plenty of others without super powers doing the exact same thing. I was just the first sidekick, the first partner. It was Bruce who was first, you know. He's the one who showed everyone he could do this. I don't think you guys really understand what being a hero really is."

"Then why don't you tell us?" Jason's eyes narrowed. This kid was pissing him off, playing all high and mighty.

"You think it's fun to be shot at every night? How about getting your ribs broken at least once a month? This job isn't easy and if you don't know what you're doing, you end up dead. I'm not playing around out here, I'm fighting for lives."

"There's no reason why we can't do the same, Golden Boy."

Robin jumped off of the street lamp, landing perfectly on the ground. "Are you even listening to me? I didn't just become Robin, I trained as hard as I could for _months_! Even then, it took me another two to convince Bruce I was ready for this. And you know what? I got my ass handed to me so many times—I've almost died at least three and don't even get me started on how long it took for Gotham's baddies to even take me seriously."

"So train us." Jason said, completely serious.

"Train you." Dick repeated, giving him a skeptical look. "I can't even—I can't even lead my own team. Training would be useless for you. I'm not that great at leading anyone."

"So learn, Grayson." Damian answered haughtily.

"Okay, rule number one, no names out on the streets." Robin stepped forward and leered down at Damian. "The second the bad guys learn your name, it's over. Not only will they hunt you down, but they'll nab whoever is closest to you. Do you want Bruce to die? What about Martha and Thomas? Alfred? Your school friends? Your brothers? Out here I'm Robin, and only Robin, got it?"

Damian didn't say anything, but Dick could tell the message had gotten through to the boy.

"Fine, I'll train you; but you listen to me, and you listen good. Any stunts like this again and you're out. Finished. If I find you out here after you've been given the shaft, I'll take you out." Dick paused. "That's exactly what Batman told me when I convinced him to let me go with him. I knew he meant every word."

Jason shook his head and smiled. "Doesn't sound like the old man at all."

"No, it doesn't." Dick agreed. "This Bruce is different. He's kind and he smiles way too much."

"What about Batman?"

"Never smiles, never laughs, and is always to the point." Robin smiled himself. "He is the dark, he is the night, he is vengeance, he is Batman."

"Sounds hardcore."

"Sounds stupid." Damian disagreed. "What was Father thinking? Batman?"

Robin opened his mouth to say more, but a loud cry echoed out.

"Tim." Jason confirmed, taking off immediately. "Shit, if he…"

"Grab on! We're flying." Dick pulled out his grappling hook and shot it, feeling two pairs of arms wrap around him quickly before the pull of the hook took them up into the air and swung them around various brick buildings.


	22. A Laugh Not Forgotten

I thought I'd let you get a glimpse of Young Justice again. Oh no! Now you'll have to wait another day to find out what happened to Tim.

* * *

><p>Bruce sat in front of the computer, dark circles under his eyes. Idly, he typed away, not exactly focused on what he was doing. His thoughts were elsewhere, to a deeper and darker crevice within his mind. He didn't hear the footsteps until they were nearly behind him.<p>

"Are you making any progress?" a soft voice inquired, stopping behind his chair.

"No." Bruce answered.

"It's okay, Bruce, we'll get him back. You said the League was working on the device, right?" Barbara tried to muster a small smile.

"They aren't making any progress, either."

"I thought you said they were nearly finished building it."

"Building the device isn't the problem. It's making it work." Bruce's voice turned cold. "There are an infinite number of alternate universes and dimensions. There's no lead, no clue on _where_ he is."

Barbara slumped, her half smile returning to its grim frown. Bruce was silent, but after a moment he spoke.

"Then there's the possibility he's already dead."

"What?" Barbara snapped her head up and her eyes narrowed. "Stop talking like that. He's your son—"

"He's not my son." Bruce interrupted. "I never adopted him, he never called me father, and I never treated him like my own flesh and blood."

"That doesn't mean he's not family." Barbara shot back. "Dick's the closest thing you've got other than Alfred."

"I chased him away."

There was something in Bruce's voice Barbara hadn't heard before. She couldn't place a word on it, but she knew it was something akin to heartbreak. Gathering a bit of inspiration from a conversation with Alfred a few days before, she quoted the old butler.

"So go find him." Barbara pulled on her cowl. "Let's go take down Clayface and start sending out an SOS signal. Dick's a twerp, but he's a twerp with a super computer that never leaves his side. He'll pick it up."

Bruce didn't say anything, instead pulling up his own cowl. Barbara was right, not that he'd admit it. He'd been so focused on trying to decode the program that made the portal in the first place, that he'd forgotten to think about doing something to contact Dick in the meantime.

He could only hope Dick would pick up. _If _Dick could pick up.

* * *

><p>Superboy slammed his fist against the interior of Megan's bioship. Nothing. They'd found no lead, no one who could even guess as to how to hop dimensions. Their only lead was the very man who did it and he wasn't speaking. Not even under threat of death or torture.<p>

The man himself was a mystery. He had an obsession with rabbits; hundreds of pictures stored in various pockets of his large brown coat. No one understood why and the man never said a word to anyone. Not since the very night of Robin's disappearance.

"_Ho ho! There goes the bird! Through the window and into beyond! What a day, what a night! Now the bird takes an unintentional flight!" the man laughed, cackled as if to imitate the Joker. _

_Batman's fist slammed into the man's jaw as Kid Flash rushed to the quickly dissipating portal. He didn't make it in time, and dropped to his knees on the pavement. He wasn't fast enough, and it killed him. Superboy roared and went to greet this newcomer with his own two fists, but Batman's dark cape kept him away._

"_Where is he?" Batman snarled, anger escalating into something dangerous._

_That was it. The stranger was done talking and smiled a rotten smile._

They'd brought him in for questioning, and even when J'onn had read his mind, he'd only discovered little of what's happened to the youngest of Young Justice. Their only lead was the device that created the portal in the first place. Everyone's top priority was to find out how to use it.

It was a one way trip, J'onn had informed. What goes in doesn't come out the same way. They would most likely have to replicate the device and switch its interior backwards to create a wormhole back to this dimension.

It'd been six months. Six months with no sign of ever getting Robin back. M'gann sighed, willing her bioship to repair itself, and it did.

"Superboy, I'm frustrated too, but please stop hurting the ship."

"We're getting nowhere!" Superboy shouted back.

"Do you want to give up?" She asked, no hint of the happy M'gann they'd all come to know. "We can go home."

Connor stared at her for a minute, trying to reign in his anger. He'd become calmer, more subdued. "Let's go home. I want to see if Wally's made any progress."

"Good idea." She answered, changing course. "It's been a while, and I was starting to wonder myself."

* * *

><p>Wally collapsed to the ground, staring up discontentedly at the sky. It was blue, bluer than any other day he'd seen. The sky was always bluer in the winter. It was a deep, almost hostile blue; nothing like the ocean, as untamable and wild as it was. The sky was open, a vast emptiness occasionally filled with bits and pieces of white fluff. On occasion it would cry, and on occasion it threw fits, blowing off steam in the form of roaring thunderstorms and gusts that sent trees crashing down.<p>

The sky was far more human than Wally felt at the moment.

A hint of red caused him to frown and squint. The red splotch grew larger and larger until Wally recognized it as the bioship. Next thing he knew, a crater next to him signaled the arrival of Connor.

"Wally!" M'gann waved, hovering over him. "Are you okay? Why are you on the floor?"

"Tired." Wally answered. "What's up? Back from your trip?"

"Back from a waste of time." Connor grumbled. "Any progress?"

"Not even close. I'm faster, sure, but nowhere near as fast as I need to be." Wally didn't stand up, and after a minute, Connor dropped down next to him, staring up into the sky as well. "Uncle Barry is worried I'm going to end up jumping into the wrong place."

"At least you can work at something." M'gann sighed, sitting down on the other side of him. "We've been around the world and found no one who even thinks it's possible to jump dimensions. In fact, you're the closest thing we've got until Mr. Rabbit decides to talk."

"Don't even mention him, Megan." Wally growled. "He's not worth the carbon dioxide."

"Flash say anything about the device?"

"The device is almost built, but they haven't figured out how to work it yet. Not to mention they can't even pinpoint where Rob is." Wally closed his eyes. "I talked to Roy about a week ago, he's still pissed off and ready to kill Bats."

"Aren't you?" Connor growled back. "Isn't everyone?"

"It's tiring to be pissed at someone for so long." Wally answered. "I'm just… tired. Uncle Barry told me no one will forgive him until Rob does. Then it's over, and everything has to go back to normal or it'll tear Rob apart. Batman doesn't care, he's been hated before; but Rob thinks of Bats as a father, you know? He wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Never thought of that." Connor's growl turned into a soft rumbling. "I guess I just don't think as well as anyone."

"I don't think either, Connor." Wally opened his eyes back up. "I just run away."

"Let's stop talking about ourselves like this, okay?" M'gann forced a pained smile. "It hurts, and I don't know if I can handle all the negativity."

"Sorry, Megs." Wally sighed again.

"What do you think he's doing?" M'gann asked. "Right now, I mean."

"I have these dreams sometimes," Wally started, "and I don't like what I see."

"I have dreams too." Connor added. "He's laughing—always laughing at something. Sometimes it's me."

"I like that." M'gann smiled. "I'd like to think he's just laughing. It's a lot better than what I've been thinking of lately."

"He's cold and scared in my dreams. Sometimes I can hear him crying for help." Wally clenched his fists in the cold grass. "I can't even hear his laugh anymore."

"It's creepy." Connor assured. "It's loud and it echoes, almost mocking, but lighter."

Wally bolted upright when he heard it, and Connor did too, instantly on his feet. M'gann just smiled.

"Sorry, I just wanted you to hear it again."

Disappointment and anger filled him, but he squashed it back down. M'gann was just trying to help, Connor told himself. She didn't mean to give them false hope.

"Thanks, Megs. I remember it now."

"No, I'm sorry." M'gann bit her lip. "I usually retreat into memories of him when I'm feeling down. He's said a lot of great things to me. It encourages me, and I guess I just wanted to share a bit with you. I wasn't thinking that you wouldn't expect it and… sorry."

"What did he say?" Connor asked. "What did he say that was so great?"

"Do you want to hear it?" M'gann tilted her head and ran a hand through her long red hair.

"Yeah," Wally nodded his head. "yeah, Megs, that'd be nice."

M'gann nudged at their minds and together they retreated into happier times when their youngest teammate was laughing with them.


	23. See You Tomorrow

Oh my gravy reviewers, I swear you're all psychic. I thought my story was complex and sort of confusing and here you all are making almost correct predictions! You amaze me, here's my love for you with a longer chapter!

* * *

><p>Tim scrambled up onto a few crates, hoping it would be enough to slow the snarling and barking hyenas behind him down enough to where he could lose them. It didn't; they were fast creatures and they knew how to climb. He did his <span>best<span> to catch his breath as he jumped down off of the crates and began to run once more down the street.

Someone obviously hadn't fed the wild beasts and they were eager to hunt him down and eat his flesh. The adrenaline kept up his stamina for another five blocks, but he was slowing down. The hyenas on the other hand, were only gaining on him. He tripped, scraping up his knees and elbows underneath the sweatshirt and jeans he'd put on.

He hissed in pain, only to realize the beasts were now surrounding him. Swallowing, he slowly backed up, his back against the wall. One of them leapt with jaws open and ready for the kill.

Tim let out a scream, covering his head with his arms.

There was a shot, a whimper of pain, and a loud thud. Tim uncovered his head and stared in shock at the injured Hyena in front of him. Deciding he wasn't going to waste time, he made his escape through an alley, scrambling up onto a fire escape and narrowly escaping a foot being bitten off by another enraged Hyena.

Another shot was fired and the hyenas decided to leave their prey and retreat, the injured one limping with pitiful growls of pain.

Tim was left by himself up on the fire escape and heaved in gulps of air. Even when he'd been living on his own and in the streets he'd never encountered any animal that big. He hadn't even faced anyone more dangerous than your average thug.

"Tim! Are you okay?"

Tim looked down, staring in to the concerned eyes of Barbara. "Yeah, I think."

"Good. I got one of 'em; let's hope they don't come back."

"Tim? Tim!" a voice called from around the corner in the middle of the street. "Tim!"

"Kon!" Tim called back, hopping off of the fire escape and wincing as it aggravated his knees.

Barbara, still on alert, raised her gun and trained it on the opening of the alley. Kon turned the corner, and immediately froze at the sight of Barbara.

"Hey, put that down!"

"Barb, it's okay," Tim soothed, pushing her arms down, "that's my friend Kon. I called him to help me look for Damian."

"Oh." Barbara holstered her gun and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I just shot a… what was that, Tim? A dog?"

"Pretty sure that was a hyena." Tim answered, giving his best friend a nervous look. "I guess that's Gotham for you."

"A hyena?" Kon was instantly coming forward, checking him over. "Did it bite you? It could have had rabies! What was a hyena doing out on the streets?"

"Whoa, calm down! Barb shot one of 'em, so I don't think it'll come back." Tim took a step back from the over bearing boy. "I'm okay, just fell."

"Oh no! Damian!" Barbara took Tim by the wrist and started to pull him towards the street again. "We've got to find him or—wah!"

All at once three bodies landed on the pavement in front of Barbara. Of course, one of the bodies awkwardly tumbled, but managed to somersault back onto his feet.

"Don't do that!" She put a hand to her chest, trying to calm her breathing back down.

"Scare you?" Dick grinned. "Good. We need to—who's this?"

"Uh, this is my—"

"Boyfriend." Jason interrupted Tim, nudging him with his shoulder.

"Best friend." Tim finished, irritation coming off of him in waves.

"Hi, I'm Kon." Kon held his hand out for a shake, but Robin only stared at it. "Who are—oh, you must be Robin."

Dick gave a look to Tim, who only shrugged with a smile. At least Kon didn't know his name. Whoa, wait a second.

"Kon…"

"Kent. My name's Conner, but I go by Kon."

Robin staggered back, mouth agape. He put the current picture of Kon and the Conner Kent he knew together. They matched. He looked to Tim, who made small shakes of his head at him. So that's what the Superboy obsession was all about.

"Uh, are you okay? Did I say something wrong?"

"No," Robin answered awkwardly, "nope, not at all. I just, uh, we need to talk."

"Okay, shoot." Barbara gave Tim and Kon a strange look before looking back to Dick, who was smiling and eyeing Kon like he had a major crush on him or something. It was definitely odd.

"Drake, you're bleeding." Damian poked at one of his elbows, relishing in the pained hiss it brought.

"We heard a scream, you guys okay?" Jason glanced at Barbara, who was running a hand through her red hair.

"We're okay now, I think. I shot one of them, and the rest ran off."

"You shot someone?" Kon's eyes were wide in shock.

"What? No. I shot a hyena." Barbara clarified. "It was trying to eat Tim, so I just pulled the trigger."

Jason noticed the slight changes in Dick; his fists clenched, he stood a bit straighter, and his brows furrowed. He did not enjoy what he'd just heard.

"Hyena?" Dick's voice was sort of strangled, like he was having trouble getting it out. "You shot it?"

"Yeah, in the leg, but it was enough to spook 'em off." Barbara raised her gun proudly. "I've got pretty good aim with this thing."

"A hyena? Are you sure that's what it was?" Dick persisted.

"Yes, what's wrong?" Tim narrowed his eyes. Dick was hiding something. There was some sort of significance to those creatures appearing and he didn't like the sound of it.

"Harley. Oh no." Dick moaned, crouching down, gloved hands tugging at dark hair. "Not good—not freaking whelming!"

"What's wrong? Who's Harley?" Kon frowned. He'd heard Tim mention this Robin kid, but he was acting strange. It was weird—and he'd seen plenty of weird things—to see a kid parading around as a superhero.

"We need to go home now." Dick avoided the question and grabbed Damian by the collar. "Seriously, right now."

"Oh crap! Ma saw me leave but I didn't tell her where I was going! I'm dead when I get home!"

"Go, we'll go home too. Tell your Mom sorry!" Tim shoved him in the direction of the street and waved him goodbye.

"What's going on?" Barbara hissed at Dick, who was struggling to keep a good grip on Damian, who was not enjoying being held onto like some sort of dog on a leash.

"I'll explain at the cave." Dick pulled Damian closer, who growled in response and was about to pull out some fighting moves himself, when the sudden pull of the grappling hook forced him to grab hold of Dick.

Once everyone was safe inside of the Batcave, Barbara was very impressed and like the boys had done earlier that day, began to touch everything she could get her hands on.

"What's with you?" Jason leaned against the still in progress R-cycle.

"Babs, you shot the pet of someone very dangerous! You didn't happen to see anyone with the hyenas, did you?"

"No." Tim answered, applying bandages to his knees and elbows. "I just ran into those things and then they tried to eat me."

"Okay, that's good." Dick paced, soggy boots squeaking against the smooth, cold ground of the cave. "It means Harley hasn't seen you. There's a possibility she doesn't know you did it."

"Who is Harley? Explain yourself, Grayson." Damian ordered, stomping a foot like a spoiled child.

"Harleen Quinzel, psychiatrist turned loon after the Joker set his eyes on her. She's… sort of his girlfriend. The Joker dumps her any chance he gets if she's not useful."

"Who's the Joker?" Tim grunted, tying off the bandage on his right knee.

"He's bad; really bad." Dick turned to them and lowered his voice slightly. "I've never fought him alone and there's a reason for it. He's Batman's number one enemy—arch nemesis really. He hates Batman and—you don't wanna know what he does to his victims, okay? It's not pretty."

"He can't be scarier than Two Face, and you already took him out." Babara pointed out.

"He's worse. A thousand times worse!" Dick tried to find a way to put it into words, but he was failing miserably. "If he's after you, I don't know that there's anywhere you can hide except for here. No one's ever found out about the Batcave."

"No blabbing, got it Gordon?" Damian shoved past her unnecessarily. "This Joker doesn't know about us, we're fine. Now keep your promise."

"What promise?" Barbara put her hands on her hips, glaring down at Damian.

"Golden Boy promised to train us."

"I can't!" Dick shook his head. "Not with the Joker here. There's no way—"

"Look, if the Joker knows about us, the best thing we can do is be able to defend ourselves;" Jason smirked, "and if he doesn't, we still learn how to defend ourselves. Win-win situation."

"You think I'm stupid?" Dick shot back. "The second I teach you something you're going to try to use it on some bullies at school. You're going to want to become heroes."

"What's so bad about that?" Tim cocked his head to the side. "From our perspective, it looks like Gotham isn't getting any cleaner by itself. Wouldn't more crime fighters out there be better?"

"Not you." Dick shook his head. "It's bad enough I took you on patrol—"

"They're right." Babs interrupted. "You could use a hand. If I recall, you were the one who threw a fit when we all said you were too young to be out there. You showed us, huh? You're being hypocritical now."

"This is different!"

"How?"

"I've been training for years! I actually know what I'm doing!"

"Then teach us!" Barbara shot back.

"Whoa, hold it Barbie." Damian scowled at Barbara. "What makes you think you're involved in this?"

"I shot a Hyena, what did you do tonight?" Barbara shot back. "I'm just as capable."

"You'd never be able to take down a bad guy on your own."

"Actually, she's been doing this as long as I have—" Dick blinked when he realized his mistake. "Crap."

"What was that?" Barbara smiled. "What did you say?"

"No way," Jason shook his head, "Wonder Girl over here?"

"It was Batgirl." Dick corrected half heartedly. "But yeah."

"What's going on? What are you talking about?"

"Dick's from another dimension. Where he comes from, Bruce is a superhero called Batman, Dick is still Robin, and now we learned you're Batgirl." Tim filled her in.

"Get out." The look on Barbara's face could have been described as bliss, but bordered more on overly ecstatic and superior. "Batgirl. What kind of powers did I have?"

"None. No one in Gotham has powers. We're just your not so average humans who go out on patrol at night." Dick sighed. He'd really done it now. Might as well give in. "I guess I'll draw up what your costume looked like and give it to Alfred."

"You're really going to teach us?"

"You made a point. Either way, if you know how to defend yourself, you're better off. There are rules to being a superhero, though. If you don't obey, you or loved ones end up dead."

"Like what?" Tim asked, putting the roll of bandages down and pulling down his sleeves.

"Rule number one; always have your utility belt with you."

"We get a utility belt?"

"Do you have any powers I don't know about?" Dick shot back sarcastically. "We're humans, this utility belt is all we've got. This contains your weapons, your grappling hook, your gadgets, and most importantly, it contains your communications."

Dick took off his utility belt and demonstrated how to fold it up to conceal it in a pocket, and then how to activate and use the voice commands.

"Rule number two; no names on the field. The second an enemy knows who you are, it's over. Consider your family dead and your demise eminent. It's unavoidable. Keep your identity secret at all costs."

He was starting to sound like Batman.

"Uh, can we learn the rest tomorrow? It's almost four, and I think Alfred's still up waiting for us." Tim pointed to his watch.

"I have work tomorrow. Shoot, I'm going to be so trashed." Barbara groaned. "Tomorrow then?"

"Yeah," Dick sighed, "See you tomorrow."


	24. Superboy

Today I'll be posting two chapters, since I feel this chapter isn't enough for today. So watch for chapter 25 later on today!

* * *

><p>Dick wasn't surprised to see a very angry looking Alfred come down into the Batcave. He'd screwed up, and it was Alfred's <span>job<span> to chew him out before Bruce got the chance to.

"Young master Richard," Alfred sharply began, holding up some bloodied bandages, "care to explain this?"

"I know. It's my fault. Last night we sort of lost Damian and when we went to go find him—"

"Who is hurt and how bad is it?"

"Tim; he scraped up his knees and elbows." Dick looked to the floor. He felt shame; this was exactly what he'd meant to avoid. He didn't want anyone hurt because of him.

"You broke your promise to me, young man." Alfred sighed and threw the bandages away. "I've kept this a secret, I've been willing to let you go on your tirade, and I've been painfully lax about the danger it ensues."

"I'm sorry."

"You cannot stay here and endanger the lives of those within the manor."

Those words cut through him and he had to hold back the tears. He already knew that. It was why he'd been so reluctant to stay at all. But with the harsh winter, he couldn't help but to finally accept Bruce's offer.

Perhaps he'd made the wrong decision after all.

"How do you intend to remedy this?" Alfred asked, his tone softer.

"Alfie, I… I kind of screwed this up even more." It was time for a huge confession; one that might get him killed by the butler. "Jason and Damian sort of… convinced me to train them."

"To do what you're doing?"

Robin flinched. "Yeah; and Babs and Tim, too. I already said yes and—there's a big problem."

"Go on." Alfred had never sounded so much like Batman before.

"There's a really dangerous criminal out there and Babs and Tim ran into their pets. Babs kind of shot one, and now they've got a big target on their back. So I figured… if they're going to be targeted, they might as well learn to defend themselves."

Alfred was silent for a moment, and Dick did his best to fill the suffocating silence with reassurances.

"But I won't let them come with me out on patrol ever again. I'm going to go put every guy I can in jail so they can't touch this family and—"

"Either way, they will not let you out on patrol alone, now. You do not seem to understand the stubbornness of those boys. They are much like you, young master Richard."

Dick risked a glance up at the old man, who seemed so much younger than the Alfred he knew. Despite being seven years older, there wasn't half as many wrinkles on his face, and he didn't look near as exhausted. Just what had saving Gotham done to their precious Alfred?

"Alfred? Did you go take out my trash?" Tim's voice came from the opposite end of the cave.

"Yes, young master Timothy. Now why would a fifteen year old boy be concerned about his trash?" Alfred looked at the sheepish teen hesitantly coming forward. "You couldn't possibly be hiding anything, could you?"

"Uh, well I…" Tim looked to Dick, who looked guiltily back down at the ground. "Yes."

"Let me see your injuries." Alfred motioned for him to sit upon the sick bed Dick had installed just earlier that week.

Tim didn't do as told. Instead he pleaded with Alfred. "It wasn't Dick's fault! If anyone is to blame, it's Damian. He ran off and when I was trying to find him I tripped on the street. Don't be mad at Dick."

"Sit." Alfred ordered. "I have already discussed the matter with young master Richard."

"You're not going to kick him out, are you?"

For half a second, Dick thought Alfred was going to say yes. Alfred took a moment to examine the bandaged cuts and once he was satisfied they were well taken care of, spoke.

"Does it hurt?"

"No."

"Good, because from what I've heard you're going to be in danger of receiving much worse. Are you prepared for that?"

Tim looked a little unsure. "Dick told you about training?"

"Are you prepared?" Dick asked, repeating Alfred's question.

"I will be."

"Then no," Alfred answered, "I am not kicking out young master Richard. I suppose you'll also want a cape and mask?"

Tim smiled and turned to Dick, who didn't look as happy about this development. "Hey, Dick, can I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"Sure."

* * *

><p>Tim kneeled under his bed and took out boxes and boxes full of printed pages and newspaper clippings. Dick watched him dump them all out onto the floor and sort them from there.<p>

"C'mere!" Tim pulled him down and took one of the pages with a picture on it. "This is what I wanted to talk about."

"Superboy."

"Yeah," Tim picked up another picture, this one of Kon and Tim together, "I wanted to ask you about him since I know you recognized him too last night."

"How long have you known?" Dick asked, smiling fondly at the picture.

"About three months. I didn't have a clue until he arrived at my house in fifteen minutes. He lives in—"

"Smallville, right?"

"Yeah. It didn't make any sense. I started to wonder if he was Superman or something. That was when I looked up Superboy. It's him."

"He doesn't do disguises very well, does he? I'm still amazed no one's figured out Clark is Superma—oh. You didn't know that either? Weird."

"How long have you known your Superboy?" Tim asked, looking back down at the picture in his hand. "Is he the same?"

"Nope." Dick chuckled. "He can't fly, use super speed, or shoot lasers out of his eyes yet. He's prone to anger and he's only six—no. He's older now. Let's see, I think he's over a year old now."

"What?"

"He's a clone of Superman. We rescued him after he'd been growing in a test tube when he was six months old. He's got the body of a sixteen year old, so it's really funny to think about it." Dick couldn't help the snicker. "It's nice not to be the youngest on the team."

"Wow. Kon is… well, he makes a ton of jokes and he's always happy. I have to practically fight him for food whenever we hang out and he's always smiling."

"Kon… hm. We've always called Superboy Connor or Supes. I guess Kon is a nice little nick name."

"He's really that different, huh?"

Dick thought for a moment. "I think your Superboy is different because Superman's probably accepted him. Our Superman is… not exactly willing to accept responsibility of a clone he didn't consent to being made. It's like a girl thrusting her son on you out of nowhere. That doesn't mean I agree with him, but I guess I can see where he's coming from. Connor is really hurt by the rejection though. Not cool."

Tim frowned. "Sounds rough. I thought Superman was like the ultimate hero."

Dick snorted. "Fanboy. Batman is and has always been…"

The moment became very awkward very fast.

"Uh, it's about time for training. Why don't you get ready and I'll meet you in the Batcave?"

"Sure." Tim waited for dick to leave and then sighed. There was something weird about the way Dick talked about Batman. Bruce was Batman, but it seemed like Dick resented him or was scared of him. He'd have to try and get him to talk about it another day.


	25. Pick Another Color

I'm so sorry this is kind of slowing down again, but I promise the pace will pick up in just a couple of chapters.

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><p>Jason thought training would be a breeze; he couldn't have been more wrong. Dick ran each of them, especially Babs since she was the oldest, through everything Batman ran him through on a regular basis. After criticizing each and every one on their kicks, punches, and flips, he proceeded to make them repeat the action until they improved to a suitable level.<p>

"You're absolutely insane, Grayson!" Damian growled, panting.

"You guys did good for your first day." Dick smirked, polishing his R-cycle. "I mean, you did the best job, Little D."

"Little D?" Damian sputtered, fury lighting up within him. Of course, he didn't have the energy to bite or pull hair or in Jason's case, head butt him where it really hurts. "That better not be some form of a pet name—"

"If you have problems with it, why don't you stop running your mouth and try to take me on?" Dick was completely confident he was all bark and no bite.

"Little D, huh?" Tim snickered.

"Don't you start, Drake!"

"Or what?" Tim shot back. "You're going to gut me in my sleep? Yeah, I've heard that before."

"I'll show Kent your secret stash."

"You've been snooping my room?" Tim was just as furious as the little demon, and if Dick hadn't completely sapped all of his energy out with the intense training course, he would have pummeled the brat in to ground.

"Shut up!" Barbara groaned, lying on the floor. She was so done with the ridiculous banter. "Who cares?"

"Welcome to my world, fire crotch." Jason chuckled from his spot on the staircase leading to the exit.

"Hey, you guys signed up for this." Dick reminded. "You can stop at any time."

"Give up?" Damian narrowed his eyes. "You've got another thing coming. We don't quit on anything."

Dick sighed. He was secretly hoping they would find it too difficult and quit. Batman must have felt like this when Dick was first starting out.

"It's late, and I've got patrol. You guys should stretch and think about what your personas are going to be." Dick smiled and dropped a piece of paper on the floor near Babs. "I don't know if you want to stay Batgirl, but I drew up your outfit. It doesn't look as good as the real thing, but I took a couple of art classes, so it's pretty accurate."

Barbara perked up, dragging herself over to the fallen paper and examining it with a huge grin on her face.

"I look awesome!" She cried, giggling and squealing over the details. "I seriously looked like this?"

"You didn't just look the part, you know. Even now you've got a mean left hook." Dick held a hand up to his jaw; he could practically feel the punch.

"Yeah?" Barbara passed the drawing to Tim, who had come over to take a peek. "I'll have to work on that one a bit more."

"Nice!" Tim looked over every detail. "We get utility belts?"

"I survived for a while without mine, but it was hard. It's sort of our super power, I guess." Dick took his off and ran his hands along the grooves. "It's more than just handy."

"Is it voice activated?" Jason inquired, coming to take a look at the Batgirl suit as well.

"Of course. We can't have others using it, the results are… disastrous. Heavy on the dis."

Damian snorted. He'd heard Dick use a variety of made up words, finding it a complete butchering of the English language.

"What does Batman look like?"

"Terrifying." Dick answered easily. "It's Bruce, but it's not."

"His suit is similar, I presume?" Babs looked back at the design of her suit. "Is that his symbol on the chest?"

"Yep. Commissioner Gordon even made a bat signal. You shine it at the sky and when we're out on patrol we know he has a case for us." Dick frowned. "You can't let your Dad know, Babs. Even the you I know never told him."

"I'm a grown woman, Dick. I don't answer to my father anymore." Babs gave him a look. What was she, twelve? She didn't need to be told to keep a secret.

"What about your set up as Oracle?"

"Are you kidding? Batgirl sounds way cooler." Barbara grinned. "It's a good thing I know how to sew."

"I need to get going. You guys draw up something cool and I'll take a look at it tomorrow." Dick hopped on his R-cycle, revved up the engine and drove out through the secret passage he'd just recently installed that led through an empty sewer line and out onto the streets of Gotham.

"I'm thinking red." Tim nodded to himself. "Maybe red and black."

"Those are the exact same colors as Robin. Can't you be more original?" Jason snorted.

"Oh yeah? And what are you thinking?"

"Red."

"Seriously?" Tim shook his head.

"I'm thinking white," Damian grinned, "or black."

"Angel or badass; your move." Jason shrugged.

"Fair enough, Todd." Damian immediately set out to draw his costume. He couldn't draw as well as Grayson, but he'd certainly think of something more dignified than Robin.

"I'm going to get started on my suit. See you tomorrow." Babs waved and hiked up the stairs, entering the exit code. It was a safety precaution in case any criminal managed to find the cave.

"Pick another color." Jason growled after a minute.

"What? You pick another color! I already called it!"

"Your older brother says pick another color or you're going to get a boot shoved up your—"

"I said red first! That makes you a copycat. So go ahead and choose red, but at least I'll be first." Tim smirked, walking off.

Jason muttered under his breath and went to go sketch his own suit. He'd show Timmy exactly who owned the color red.

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><p><strong>Scotty1609<strong>, I'm not sure what you're asking? Yes I updated? I do this every day? Or are you asking about future chapters? I'm really confused.


	26. Bounty

I'm curious to see how y'all are going to respond to this. Here comes another monkey wrench!

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><p>Robin swooped down on another rooftop. It was surprisingly quiet tonight and it put him on edge. He knew who was out here and he could only imagine what they were up to. He got luckier than he thought he would and heard a scream of frustration and the banging of trash cans being knocked over from nearby.<p>

Creeping as close as he dared, Robin peered over the edge and observed the two figures below.

"My babies, Red! The vet doesn't know if he'll make it!" A blonde woman paced, every once and a while lashing out at pieces of trash from the knocked over can or kicking the side of the concrete building. "I'll find who did this and slit their throat! I'll blow 'em up and gut them!"

"Harl, have you learned your lesson yet? Those things need to be kept in a safer place."

"That's what Mistah J says; but it's hard to see them all chained up. They need their exercise!"

"You have any idea who did it?"

"Someone with a gun."

Robin let himself breathe a little easier. So it was only Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Granted, both were dangerous, not to mention together, but he'd be able to manage.

"No, really?" Ivy's sarcastic response was coupled with a glare.

"Really, Red!" Harley stomped on another piece of trash. "Hey, I got an idea."

"What?"

"I should just blow up this stupid city!" Harley's voice reached an aggravating octave and she threw her hands into the air with glee. "Then I won't have to do any hunting! Everyone will be dead! It's what Mistah J would do, right?"

"Don't start this again, Harl." Ivy's tone went low and dangerous. "He's dumped you for the last time. You're never going back."

"Right, right." Harley laced her fingers together behind her back and sent a guilty smile towards Ivy. "No Mistah J. He's mean and rotten and—"

"You called?"

Robin stiffened. That voice was one that would forever haunt him. The Joker stepped out from the shadows, cruel grin ever present. He sneered at Ivy, but otherwise made no other movements.

"Mistah J!" Harley threw herself at him, and he caught her in his arms. "Oh, I've missed you!"

"Harl," Ivy warned.

"Been a good little Tree Hugger, Ivy?" Joker snarled. "Like your trees, Harley belongs to me."

"She doesn't belong to anyone;" Ivy snapped back, "especially not to you."

"Quiet down, now. There are more important things to discuss." Joker dropped Harley, but she caught herself and did a happy cartwheel back to Ivy. "Harley, we can't blow up Gotham, beautiful city of dirt and grime. No, we must preserve it for a while longer."

"Why, puddin'?" Harley titled her head, giddy, love sick smile still stretching her ruby red lips.

"There's a little rumor that a hero's been sighted here in Gotham."

Dick narrowed his eyes. So they'd caught wind of his actions; that was neither good nor bad.

"You're talking about the bounty." Ivy flipped her hair. "I should have guessed you'd show up for that."

"Come now, Ivy," Joker's grin widened, "we all know you're here for the same thing."

"Six million is a notable bounty, but I've got other reasons for visiting Gotham."

"Red's gonna go visit—" Harley started, but stopped and clamped two hands over her mouth. "Oopsies, I can't say anything! I remembered, Red, just like I told you!"

"Very good, Harl, just make sure you keep remembering." Ivy's eyes narrowed and she gave a warning look to Harley, who giggled nervously.

"You two haven't seen the little brat running around, have you?" Joker eyed his surroundings carefully. "I've been meaning to have a little heart to heart with him."

"Maybe _he's_ the one who shot my poor baby!" Harley cried, once again throwing herself into Joker.

"Shot the kids?" Joker's grin faded slightly. "How many have we lost? They were expensive."

"None, but Mr. Vet said he can't be let outside to play for a long time, Puddin'!"

"The brat shot our kid?" Joker's grin returned. "I think we've got to really pay a special visit to him, don't you think?"

"We haven't seen him." Ivy pulled her coat closer to her body. "I heard he goes by an interesting name."

"Do tell."

"Robin."

Dick's eyes widened. So it was him they were after. This wasn't good, not good at all. If there was a bounty placed on his head, who knows how many of Gotham's crazies were going to come hunting him. Now was the time to try and communicate with Batman. As much as he was still hurting, he was going to need help. Not to mention the entire universe could collapse at any time. He'd been dawdling for too long.

"A bird hunt, then?" Joker let out a cackle, his roaring laughter echoing through the cold, dark, damp streets of Gotham. "No, a baby bird hunt!"

It was time to run.

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><p>After one week of training his little pupils, he'd been delivering a crook he'd caught a mere three blocks away from the Gotham Police HQ when a shot whizzed past his ear from one of the guards.<p>

"Greg, what're you doing?" the other guard asked, gun trained on his fellow officer. "That's Robin!"

"I know who it is!" The man giggled a little, in a crazed, greedy way. "He's going to make me rich."

"What are you talking about? Put your gun down!"

Robin stared down the corrupt officer. He understood; word had gotten out about the bounty. Great, now he'd need to watch for friendly fire.

"I'll split it with you George," The officer took another shot and Robin barely managed to get out of the way, his cheek suffering a wound, "just help me wrangle in the kid. It's six million for each of us!"

What a liar; then again, the bounty might have gone up. Dick pulled a birdarang, but before he could throw it, George had shot Greg in the leg. Apprehending the man's gun, he took a step a back. With his gun still trained on the cursing and writhing police officer, George gave Robin a questioning look.

"Thanks." Robin dragged the crook lying face down on the street up and deposited him on the steps a ways away from Greg. "It's cops like you that make me proud to do my job."

"You sure you're okay? He said there's a bounty on your head."

"Yeah," Robin clenched his fists, "some scary people are after my head. It's what I get for my job, you know. Don't worry about it, but I'd try to use it to lure out all the guys like him around this place."

"Good idea." George smiled at him and radioed in two crooks in need of jailing. "Be careful out there. Commissioner has a soft spot for you, so if you need anything, come 'round."

"Thanks, but to be honest, I don't think involving you guys is the best option." Robin waved and went on his way.

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><p>Thank you <strong>angelrider13<strong> for your reviews on every single chapter yesterday! I'm glad you're enjoying this and it was fun to see your thoughts progress throughout the day.

**Doogadude, **thank you for pointing out that I need to go over my chapters a little more. I'm sorry that I missed a few things. As for your question, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to wait and see!

**Melkyre**, I'm happy to see my little story has surprised you, and I'm eager to see what you'll think of it in the future. You mentioned you didn't really think anything of the story at first. Is it the summary? I've been thinking I should change it up a bit. What was it that you thought was unattractive about it before you delved into this?

**KKCopper, **yes, I have seen all of the Young Justice episodes. Now I must ask you, have you seen the episode of Batman; The Animated Series where Batman and Robin go against Bane? Robin has his shirt _off_, my friend. Mmhm, I know my way around. Let me know if you need help finding it.

**Scotty1609,** Oooh! I feel so incredibly stupid right now it's not even funny. How completely obvious. I'm so sorry you had to spell it out to a child like me. Sigh, I'll be 18 in a month and half and here I am, wondering what "update?" means. I can only hope my writing doesn't come off as childish! Sorry again for my stupidity!


	27. Who Killed Boy Blunder?

I was so worried I'd lost you guys due to lack of hits and reviews, but you all came back with such a force I just can't even—I can't even! Thank you so much!

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><p>"Are you serious?" Tim asked, giggles quickly turning into howls of laughter.<p>

"Deadly, Drake!" Damian hastily grabbed back his design and looked over it again. "There is nothing wrong with it!"

From behind, Jason managed to snatch up said design and has a reaction equal to Tim's. Fed up with his older brothers' ridicule of his well thought out suit, he once again grabbed back the paper and stomped over to a corner to pout.

Quick footsteps coming down the Batcave entrance signaled Barbara's arrival. She had in her hands a large bag, and once she reached the boys, she pulled out its contents in a quick flurry.

"Look! Look!" She twirled, holding up her well crafted Batgirl suit. "Isn't it awesome? I made some minor adjustments, but everything Dick made notes about was right!"

"Put it on." Jason ordered, a grin slipping onto his face. "Right here."

Barbara made a face and huffed. "Don't be such a sleaze ball. I'll go change when Robin gets here. What about you guys? Did you think of something? It's been a week, you know."

"Yeah, I got something." Jason produced his design from his pocket. "Take a look at this bad boy."

"Red Hood, huh?" Barbara scrutinized every detail, nodding and on occasion making small suggestions. "I like it, but don't you think the ski mask is a little… criminal?"

"That's the point." Jason crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. "Bad guys won't know I'm really a good guy. It'll take 'em off guard and make it easier to take 'em out."

"That's… surprisingly genius." Barbara handed back the design and looked expectantly at Tim.

"I can't believe you still picked red." Tim muttered, pulling out his design.

Barbara took it and did the same, though the smile on her face meant she appreciated his design better.

"Timmy, Timmy, Timmy, it looks like you've really thought about this;" Barbara quirked an eyebrow playfully, "but don't you think naming yourself Red Robin is a little…"

"Copycat Drake," Damian sneered, "can't even think up something original."

"Shut up!"

"I told you to pick another color." Jason teased.

"At least mine isn't Catlad!" Tim grinned mischievously at Damian, who growled in response. Jason immediately started cracking up again, and Barbara couldn't help but snicker a little.

"Cats are regal, stealthy, and—"

"Associated with dangerous thieves, Damian." Dick interrupted, coming out of his hiding spot near the back of the cave. "Catwoman is very dangerous and even Batman doesn't have quite a full handle on her."

"So?" Damian snarled. "I can be whatever I want!"

"Listen, I've got a backup design for you, okay? I had it for whoever didn't quite hit the mark, so why don't you take a look at it." Dick handed his own detailed design to Damian and watched as the boy looked it over once, twice, and nodded with a rather malicious smirk adorning his face.

"I'll take it."

"Whoa, what?"

Instantly the other three came to look at the design. Jason nodded in approval, Tim analyzed it carefully, and Barbara smiled.

"Nightwing is from an ancient Kryptonian legend. Superman told me about it once when I was about your age." Dick smiled at the fond memory. "I figure when I grow up, I'll be Nightwing myself. But for now, I'll have to lend the name to you, okay?"

Damian didn't say anything. Barbara snuck off and returned a few minutes later, all dressed up and looking mighty fine.

"Wow, you look awesome." Tim commented.

"Don't I? I can't wait to take this out." Barbara was over twenty, but at that moment she was acting like she was twelve. "I look so cool in this thing! It only took me a week to put it together!"

"You look exactly how I remember." Dick tilted his head a bit and tried to ignore the blush growing on his cheeks. "Only some things are… a little bigger."

"I'm a grown woman, of course things are… hey!" Barbara covered her chest and suddenly wasn't liking being in a room full of hormonal teenaged boys. "Quit staring at me!"

Dick coughed and looked away from her to Jason and Tim. "Did you guys practice?"

"Of course we practiced, Grayson." Damian set aside the design. "Your juvenile training homework was insulting."

"You want to move on to something harder then, Little D?" Dick grinned. "I've got just the thing!"

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><p>"You know, Batsy, old boy," Joker ground out, not bothering to struggle in the cruel grasp of Batman, "I've noticed a lack of a little birdie flying around. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"<p>

Batman narrowed his eyes and slammed Joker back into the wall. He didn't bother to answer, knowing it would only spark up emotion he wanted to hide and bury.

"It's just," Joker grinned, lips stretching as wide as they could go, "Uncle J misses his favorite Boy Blunder. Where has the little birdie gone?"

Batman's knee connected with the man's stomach. Joker coughed and groaned, but it developed into a low chuckle.

"Who killed him, huh?" Joker looked straight up into the cowl and scowl. "Was it Two Face? He never did learn that you and Boy Blunder were mine. All mine to kill."

Batman tightened his grip, but still held his tongue. He wouldn't give into this madman and he wouldn't believe his son was dead. No, he told himself, not his son. Not when he'd been such a bad father. It was better for Dick to remember his own father, to let that be what he aimed to be when he had children of his own.

"Who killed Robin, Bats?" Joker grew more serious, despite the ever present grin. "Who killed him?"

Batman's fist met his face four times before he let the Joker slump down onto the floor.

"I did."

Batman walked away and a moment later several police officers took his place and apprehended the most dangerous criminal in all of Gotham.

"So that's how it is." Joker snarled. "How dirty of you, Bats. What an underhanded trick. Killing your young and taking away the pleasure of killing him. I'll just have to break you twice. One for you and one for the kid. Twice. Yes, twice."

"Shut up! Get him to Arkham. Make sure he stays there this time!"

Joker didn't fuss, didn't struggle. He'd get out again. Arkham never learned and this time he was going to be a bit more sane, a bit more serious. The Bat had outfoxed him one too many times. Killing the brat was going to be his leverage in tipping Batman over the edge. Once he was over it, there was no going back. That was what he wanted.

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><p><strong>Momorulz,<strong> we're getting there, I promise! Once it hits that point, things are going to go pretty fast, and there won't be much to explore with Dick getting to know his "siblings". I really wanted to kind of take the time to explore that a little bit more, so I'm sorry if you're getting impatient.

**Melkyre,** I love Damian too. I know a bunch of people hate him for being such a little snot, but I really enjoy the humor in how opposite he is with Dick. Together the two really make Batman enjoyable. Not that it wasn't before, but you know what I mean. It was interesting while it lasted. Curse you DC Reboot!

**Doogadude,** as for Wally and his speed, you'll just have to see what I'm planning.


	28. Hold the Fort While I'm Gone

Okay guys, I know this is a short chapter, but I'm going to be posting **two** chapters today, so bear with me.

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><p>"Bruce, we need to talk."<p>

"So talk." Bruce didn't bother turning to face Clark. Whatever Clark Kent had to say wasn't important unless it was about Dick. Nothing mattered but getting Dick back.

"While I'd normally give you a long speech about how you've managed to screw up your life, now isn't the time."

"So get to the point." Bruce all but snapped. He was really getting tired of the League trying to tell him how to run his life.

"It's done." Clark waited a moment to let it sink in before continuing. "It was finished a few hours ago. There's been no testing yet, but I knew you'd want to oversee it."

Bruce stepped away from the Bat computer and all of the possible coordinates Robin could have made it to. Now that the device was complete, they were one step closer to retrieving Robin.

"I'll oversee it now."

"I'll have J'onn pick us up."

Bruce nodded and sent out the message he'd had prepared for such a day as this to Batgirl, Alfred, and Jim Gordon. Batman wouldn't be back for a while, and there was always the possibility of never coming back.

"It's been three months! Just take us out already!" Damian growled. "I'm done with training simulations; give me some flesh to take down!"

Dick sighed. He knew they'd start whining after a few weeks, but they weren't nearly ready for real combat; especially with all of the more dangerous creeps out prowling at the moment. He'd managed to avoid them for the most part, taking down who he could but abandoning his crusade when two of them were nearby. He could take on one, but two and even he'd have a fair amount of trouble.

There was a bit of guilt that came along with just letting them go. But he truly wasn't Batman. He didn't even know how Batman did it in the first place. He had completed the Bat computer, but from Gotham he was unable to get a strong enough connection to hack into the JLA system without them realizing it.

He was going to have to go directly to the Watch Tower, which he'd never actually stepped foot in, despite Young Justice being formed, and send a message directly from their system. It was the only way to try and send a message across dimensions.

"No." Dick answered. "Didn't I explain it? The whole point of this is so that in case one of these guys _does_ get a hold of you or Bruce, you'll be able to fend them off and hopefully survive."

"Then what's with making our suits, huh? Giving us utility belts? How about picking superhero names?"

Tim was sharper than he looked. Dick partially blamed himself for that. He'd been teaching Tim how to hack in his spare time. Not that he had a lot of spare time, but there were times when he had to wait for a period of time and Tim just happened to be home and in his room.

Martha and Thomas had helped Alfred make the suits and keep it hidden from Bruce, who still remained oblivious, despite hints at suspicion, to Dick teaching his children how to become crime fighters, vigilantes, and of course, heroes.

"That's…"

"You don't have an answer, do you Golden Boy?" Jason smirked. He knew he was right.

"Okay, okay, fine. I guess they're for when I leave. Someone's got to watch over Gotham, and I don't know who else will but you guys."

"Take us out tonight, Dick." Barbara asserted softly. "We've been under your guidance for three months. Haven't we proven ourselves yet?"

Dick sighed again. "You have, but… things are really getting complicated in Gotham right now."

"You never did explain why." Tim frowned. "What's going on?"

Should he tell them? They might as well know, since he was going to pass the torch onto them by the end of this.

"Someone put a bounty on my head. It's a big one, and it's attracted some attention."

"So that's why you came home injured last week." Alfred piped up, entering the cave with a tray of food. "I know your nightly activities are dangerous, but you often come out unscathed."

"That's because the big guys weren't ever here. It's always been small fry." Dick took a moment to remove his shirt and cape, showing them his back. "There's a scar from each and every one of Gotham's crazies."

"Yeah, yeah, we know," Jason grumbled, "Dad would kill you if we got hurt. Don't you say anything else?"

Dick frowned and pulled back on his clothes. What was he thinking? These guys were possibly more stubborn than he was. With a sigh, he meandered on over to his R-cycle.

"Yeah, hold down the fort while I'm gone."

"Where are you going?" Barbara asked, hands on her hips. "You can't just run away from us!"

"I'm not." Dick shook his head and pulled on his helmet. "I've just got some business to take care of."

"Grayson, this isn't over!" Damian scowled. "You're going to take us out the second you get back!"

"Fine." Dick reluctantly agreed. "I'll take all of you out once I get back. Until then, don't do anything stupid and listen to Alfred."

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><p><strong>Scotty1609<strong>, you're exactly right! I noticed that too yesterday, and what a coincidence that I just so happen to be really pushing it forward today! I'm sorry I spent so much time dawdling. It's just with all them together, I had to take the opportunity to explore. I'm also sorry that there hasn't been as much YJ in here as I wanted, but not to worry! There will be a LOT more of them in the next 5-10 chapters. Until then, have a cookie!


	29. Playing Tag With the Justice League

Hopefully this makes up for the really short chapter. I'm working on my action guys, so I'm sorry if it's not exactly satisfactory. This marks the beginning of a very fast paced next few chapters. I'm hoping the chapters will be longer from here on out.

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><p>After what felt like forever, Dick reached the heart of DC. The Hall of Justice was a mere five blocks away, and he was getting the jitters. The type someone gets when they're about to do something crazy, stupid, or both. Parking his R-cycle in a secure location, he kept to the shadows and made his way forward.<p>

True to his fashion, it was dark outside. It must have been close to the wee hours of the morning, because despite the night, there was a reduction of civilians out and about. DC was dirty, but nowhere near the level of Gotham.

Luck was on his side; because of how late the hour was, most of the League would have retired to bed in their own home cities. Only a couple of League members would be in the Watch Tower, and if he was lucky, it wasn't Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, or Martian Manhunter. He'd rather not have any combinations of them either.

Getting into the Hall of Justice wasn't a problem. Despite the League's security, Robin had hacked on through. No, the problem was figuring out how to get up into the Watch Tower. Approaching the computer, Robin ran his hands along the numerous buttons.

This brought back memories of being naïve; of following blindly instead of carving out his own path. Now he'd been on his own for nearly an entire year. He'd proved to himself he could do it. He could manage on his own, but he wasn't ready for it. He wanted to be back with his team, with his friends. He wanted Batman.

Swallowing thickly, Robin focused back on the task at hand. Decoding the files and going through each encryption took nearly an hour. This was the Justice League, after all. While this wasn't on Bat computer standards, it was a close second.

He bypassed the recognizer and was surprised to be beamed up. It made his teeth vibrate and he had to take a moment to compose himself once he'd reached solid ground. Immediately he set to taking out the motion sensors, cameras, and emergency shut down systems. The only thing left to do was get to the control center and send his message.

Creeping down the halls was far more nerve racking than he remembered; before it had been just a simple bad guy he had to watch for, now he was the potential target for many of his idols, the mentors he'd come to appreciate and rely on.

The ache in his chest came back, similar to when he'd had Babs threatening to shoot him. None of them knew him, and while he could play the lost little kid card, he doubted they'd believe him. It took far too much work to get in, and there was no way he was leaving without sending some sort of signal to Batman and the League he knew.

"Yo, you wanna hit the cafeteria? I'm starving!"

"You're always starving."

"Aw, come on! I can't help it, my metabolism and all. I could use a friend to talk to while I'm replenishing myself."

"At three in the morning?"

Robin panicked. Where could he hide? Vent. It took a total of five seconds to crawl in and reattach the lid. He tried to calm his breathing and listened to the footsteps coming closer.

"Please, Superman?"

Not good. Not good at all. If Superman was here, he might as well be screwed. There was nothing he could do against him without the emergency kryptonite Batman always had stored. He was fast and small, sure, but it was going to be one grand escape if it ever came to that.

"Flash, why don't you go on ahead? I'll meet you there later."

"Dude, I'm the Flash," a bit of red was visible from inside of the vent, "I'm going to be done by the time you get there."

"Really? Huh, what's a man to do?" Superman was teasing him, as usual. At least he wasn't mean in this universe. That would have been worse.

Vaguely, Robin wondered if Superman was accepting of Superboy. It would explain the relaxed attitude and the whole… not pissed at the world thing. Maybe once he got back he could try twice as hard to convince Superman to own up to his son and teach him how to do things.

That is, unless that had already happened since he'd been gone. What else had happened while he was here? Kaldur would have been an adult now, and most likely quit Young Justice. M'gann and Superboy would still be in school. Last he'd seen them they were starting to make friends there. Wally would be… probably trying not to fail his classes and have to take summer school again. Artemis would still be in school as well.

He missed them. He missed joking with Wally and trying to get Connor to lighten up. He missed M'gann's awful cooking and pretending it was fabulous. He missed Kaldur's calming demeanor and occasional wise cracking.

Instead he had four trainees at home, probably still pissed at him for just leaving them alone. He really hoped they stayed put. Then again, it was better to finish this up and get back as soon as he could. While he was in thought, Superman and Flash had passed him by. He was thankful Superman's hearing was currently being distracted by Flash's jabbering to hear him within the vent.

Crawling out, he made his way down the hallways as carefully as before, trying to find the control room. He counted at least six members of the Justice League still hanging around in the halls or other rooms. He'd almost gotten caught by Wonder Woman, and that was two of the original seven on duty in the Tower. Things were quickly spiraling into trouble.

Finally, after a while of crawling through vents, he'd managed to find the control room. Luckily for him, whoever it was that was on duty had taken a bathroom or coffee break. He thanked whoever was listening and immediately set to work.

There was a special code Batman had designed for the Watch Tower back in his universe. If anything, this code would direct the signal to the correct dimension. Otherwise he might as well call it quits and resign himself to live here until this universe collapsed.

Deciding not to think about it, he called home.

"Watch Tower, this is Robin. I repeat, this is Robin. Come in, Watch Tower."

He waited, hoping for a response. One never came. Trying again, he repeated his message. Nothing.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but I guess if you get this message later or something, I should at least inform you of my situation." Robin swallowed thickly. "I've been transported to another dimension. Somehow I bounced through time while here and I ended up changing things here."

He paused for a moment to try and hold back the emotions beginning to surface in his voice.

"I need help. I can't do this on my own anymore! Batman, I'm sorry! I—"

"What the—the door isn't opening!" That was Green Lantern.

"I gotta go. I think Superman is trying to break open the door. Please, if you can, come get me. Robin out."

Sure enough, the creaking of the door being pried open coerced Robin to quickly abandon his post and crawl back into the vent he'd crawled out of in the first place. He wasn't quite fast enough, and the door gave in before he could put the plate back onto the vent opening.

"Hey!"

Not good. Not good. He barely slipped away from Superman's fingers grasping at his cape. He was suddenly aware that he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going and ended up lost in the vents. Pulling up his computer screen, he was disappointed to find most of the systems back online. A bit of mischief and desperation peeking through, he sent the League mainframe a nasty Robin virus to slow them down. As long as they couldn't see where he was in the vents, he'd be fine for the most part.

Then again…

Robin was about to make his escape through a vent, but was startled when Superman's face suddenly came into view and hit his head on the ceiling of the vent. Slithering back just in the nick of time, Superman's arm once again missed him.

"It's a kid!" Superman called to who he assumed was Wonder Woman and Hawk Girl based on the feminine voices echoing into the vents.

He really underestimated Superman's super hearing. It was difficult to turn around, but he'd managed, and came up with an idea. If Superman had super hearing, he'd have to distract it, just as Flash had unintentionally done for him earlier.

He set off every alarm he could, sirens blaring throughout the entire Tower. Sure, the rest of the League was now on alert, but at least it would lock some of them into different rooms or hallways while he tried to find a way out.

He crawled out through one vent and did his best to remember which way was the exit. He was lucky to succeed, but not without Wonder Woman catching sight of him using the transporter back to the Hall of Justice.

He instantly took off for the streets. She'd have a terrible time finding him once he took cover in the dark—

Oh no.

The sun was peeking over the horizon. Perhaps they'd have an easier time finding him after all. Sure enough, Diana's cry from behind him prompted him to make quick work of the short distance to his R-cycle. Lucky for him, he'd lost Wonder Woman.

"Hey, kid, stop!"

Of course that only meant someone else had found him. Flash was instantly in front of him, hands on his hip and Robin could tell he was quirking an eyebrow from underneath his cowl.

"Geez, how'd you even get into the Tower in the first place? No one's supposed to know about that. Hey, is that a… no way! Dude, you're totally trying to be a—"

"Wally?" Robin examined him further. Barry didn't have freckles that peeked out from the edges of the cowl on his face. Barry didn't, but Wally did. Not only that, Barry never said dude and totally. It just wasn't him. This was definitely Wally.

"What? How do you know my name? I mean, err, what are you talking about kid?"

Yup, this amount of fail in keeping major secrets was completely Wally. An intersection full of early risers on their way to work sparked an idea.

"Oh no! Hurry, the car's about to—" Robin covered his eyes with his gloved hands.

Wally fell for it hook, line, and sinker. He turned his head, analyzing the intersection and trying to see what exactly Robin was talking about. A well placed kick to the groin and another to the head sent Wally skidding across the sidewalk.

"Sorry, Wally!" He called, laughing. "Maybe next time!"

Suddenly it had switched from run and keep yourself safe to playing tag with the Justice League. Life had never felt so good, running and playing instead of being oh so very serious at home and trying to keep from crumbling under the pressure Gotham was putting on him.

"You've been a naughty boy!" Wonder Woman grabbed hold on his cape and threw him onto the side of an office building. Her mistake.

It took him a moment to figure out which was way up before he was scrambling into the halls and hiding from the enraged dark haired beauty. Just when he'd lost her, he went to exit from the nice hold she'd created in the windows she'd thrown him though and was once again spooked by the face of Superman. No, not Superman. It was Superboy.

"Come on!" Kon grabbed a hold of his hand and jumped—no, flew. He was flying!

"Whoa! So you _can_ fly!" Dick couldn't help the giggles bubbling up from him. He'd flown once on Superman's back when they had to go get Batman, who had of course gotten himself in a bit of pickle regarding Lex Luthor. That had been one of his fondest memories of Clark.

"Of course I can fly!" Kon lifted him higher before dropping onto the roof of one of the sky scrapers.

"So what's your deal? Saving me I mean?" Robin looked at him suspiciously.

"You're Tim's brother. What are you even doing here?" Kon crossed his arms and frowned. "Aren't you supposed to be in Gotham?"

"I had to send a message." Robin turned to face the sunrise. "When were you planning on telling him?"

"Tell him what?"

"Tell him you're Superboy." Robin turned back to him, only to be alerted by his communicator beeping. "What?"

"_Dad's been grabbed some clown! Where are you? You're supposed to be protecting him!"_

"What?" Dick felt his heart drop into his stomach. "What happened?"

"_Dad was taken two hours ago by some guys in clown suits. Barbara's trying to get info from the Commissioner. Where are you?"_

"I'm coming home right now! Just… just don't move or say anything to anyone until I get there, okay?"

Dick was on the verge of hyperventilating. Bruce, the one person he was supposed to protect above anyone else had been taken by the Joker. He'd failed in such a simple task. It was because he'd selfishly gone and sent that message. If he'd gone any other night, he might've…

"What's going on? Is Tim okay?" Kon took a shaky step forward.

"_Dick, you need to get here now! Alfred and Grandpa think they're coming after us next."_

"On my way, just get everyone to the Batcave and don't move from there! Okay? Make sure Babs gets there too. If she's already gone, don't go after her. Okay?"

"_Yeah, okay." _Tim's voice was shaky. He was scared; for good reason. If the Joker was after you things were about to get frightening. It wasn't something you recovered easily from.

Dick didn't have time to take a deep breath before the plunge anymore. It was do or die and he was going to face the Joker alone.

"Hey!" Kon yelled, grabbing onto Robin's shoulders and shaking them roughly. "What's going on?"

"It's Bruce." Robin answered. "We need to get to Gotham, now. The others are probably next if we don't hurry."

"Get on!" Kon bent down and motioned for dick to climb onto him for a sort of piggyback ride. "I'll take us there in fifteen minutes."

Robin nodded and Kon made sure he had a good grip on Robin before taking off. They could only hope nothing happened in the next fifteen minutes.


	30. He's Alive

Guys, sorry this is posted a bit later than usual. I was having a bit of trouble with this one.

* * *

><p>Barry was stuck on monitor duty. It wasn't so bad, except his attention span was quickly waning. He should be out running; saving lives and cheering up the kids. He drummed his fingers on the many keys in front of him lightly, so as not to actually press them.<p>

"_Watch Tower, this is Robin. I repeat, this is Robin. Come in, Watch Tower."_

Barry immediately sat up. "Robin? Robin, this is Watch Tower! Where are—"

"_Watch Tower, this is Robin. Come in, Watch Tower."_

"Robin! Can you hear me? Hey!" Barry tried everything he could to try and get Robin to hear him.

Robin couldn't hear him; and while Barry couldn't wrap his mind around how this was happening, he listened intently to the message Robin gave. Feeling his heart leap into his throat, Barry did the one thing he was good at. He ran.

Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern—everyone came running once Barry delivered the news. The message was constantly on loop, and many of the League were in tears.

"He's alive." Batman breathed, so softly only Superman heard it.

"Yes, he's alive." Clark couldn't help the smile on his face. "We can go retrieve him."

"I'll retrieve him now." Bruce asserted, turning and stalking towards the door.

"Whoa, hold on!" Clark blocked Bruce's exit, effectively gaining the attention of the rest of the League that had been gathered. "It hasn't been tested yet, Bruce! That was the point of bringing you here!"

"You're a fool Superman." Batman's eyes narrowed and his voice reached a dangerous tone. "The reason we built the second device is to get back home. I will be leaving _now_ with the first device. We'll test it once I've retrieved my partner."

"That… makes sense." Flash said slowly, before perking up. "The kids!"

Before anyone could stop the fastest man alive, Flash was already headed to Central City to tell Wally.

Wally smirked at Connor. "You really think you can beat me? Not even Superman can beat Flash you know."

"We won't know until we try, now will we?"

The two got into position and M'gann held the racing flag above her head. She was about to swing it and start the race when a red blur knocked her over.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Uncle Barry!" Wally whined. "We were about to race!"

"Now's not the time! Hurry!" Flash grabbed M'gann's arm and hauled her up.

"What's wrong?" She asked, before squeaking as he slung her over his shoulder.

"To the Watch Tower, now!" Barry ordered, taking off.

The race was forgotten, and the two boys took off after the blurring red. It didn't matter that they were in their civvies, focused solely on Barry in front of them. Superboy was proud to be able to keep up with Wally, having trained so hard with him to develop his super speed.

Connor had gotten Wally to help him after Wally had proclaimed he was a whole 20 miles per hour faster than he was when Robin had disappeared. It was after two weeks that Connor had sprinted faster than anyone thought he could. He had been racing a car down the street. That was the best way to gauge his speed, and then suddenly, he'd beaten it. Of course, he hadn't known how fast he was going and didn't have time to stop before he ran through an entire tree, knocking it over.

The three remaining members of Young Justice had never been inside of the Watch Tower, but their awe was quickly muffled by concern. Barry sounded so… jittery.

"What's going on?" Wally grabbed his uncle's arm and pulled hard enough to stop him.

"You'll see! You just need to hurry up." Barry answered, in turn tugging Wally forward. "You guys are so _slow_!"

They were ushered into the control room, where a few of the League had remained, but most had followed Batman out of the door earlier. Wally didn't understand what he was doing here. There wasn't any crisis as far as he could see. No surprise birthday party, no one was dying.

Then he heard it.

"Robin…" M'gann whispered, coming closer to the screen where the audio was playing.

"What's going on?" Connor growled. "Why are we—when was this…?"

"It was sent to us about twenty minutes ago." Barry answered. "I tried to get him to hear me, but he couldn't. J'onn thinks the message could have been sent anywhere from hours ago, to an entire year ago, when Robin was thrown through."

Wally didn't even respond. He just listened; listened to the nervousness in Robin's voice, the strain on it when he was apologizing to Batman, the fear and desperation when he called for help.

"He's alive…" Wally couldn't stop the tears. The relief was just so overwhelming that he didn't have to the energy to hold himself together. "Rob's alive!"

"Why is Superman trying to break down the door?" Connor asked, eyebrows drawn in confusion. "That was Green Lantern in the background, wasn't it?"

"We've had encounters with alternate dimensions before;" Barry answered, "that's what got us a little worried. If Robin was being attacked by the League, he could be seriously injured. One little guy, even a bat, couldn't take on the entire league and get away without some serious damage done to them."

"We have to go get him." M'gann turned to Wally, who sniffed and swallowed down the tears from earlier. "He's in danger!"

"Bats is already on that. He's come up with a plan, and they're preparing right now." Barry pulled his nephew into his chest and ran his hand through Wally's red hair. "Easy, Walls, it's going to be just fine."

"I'm going." Wally pulled out of his uncle's embrace. "I don't care what Batman says, I'm going!"

"No, you're not." Batman's deep voice rumbled from the door.

Wally, Connor, and M'gann were fuming.

"Why?" Connor shot back. "Someone needs to be there to make sure you don't hurt him again."

Batman didn't even blink. The comment hurt, but he was not going to let it show to a bunch of children.

"I don't need any more factors to watch out for." Batman replied icily. "Robin is my responsibility. I will be the one to bring him home."

"If the League is attacking him, you're going to need all the help you can get!" Wally shot back.

"Then I'd get _this_ League to go. Young Justice was disbanded months ago. You haven't worked together since and your inexperience would hinder this mission."

"We're his friends." M'gann said quietly. "We're his friends and he trusts us."

Batman stewed on this for a moment. Robin called for Batman, not Young Justice. Yet, the teenagers were correct. They were his friends, his colleagues. What if Robin ran from him? What if he failed to talk to Dick? Would they be able to do what he could not if it came to that?

"No."

Frustrated tears were beginning to form in Wally's eyes. He felt nothing but hate toward the Caped Crusader. Fine, if Batman wanted to play this way, then they'd play. Batman walked away and no one said a word, the silence thick and the tension heavy.


	31. One, Two, Three, Are You In?

Welcome all new readers! I know picked up a couple in the last few days. Just a reminder that I do indeed update every day. If I can't, I make it up to my readers and post double the next day. So far I've only skipped one day, and I couldn't help that one. I have not read a lot of comics, also my details are very shaky. If you see something that is incorrect, correct me right away and I will fix it.

Also, please excuse my battle writing. I don't think I'm that good at describing battle sequences. I'm very much a dialogue person. Again, if anything is wrong, spelling, grammar, characters, plots (pshaw, you guys can't see any loopholes in here, can you?) let me know and I will do my best to fix this.

Long author's note is long. I'm sorry. I feel like a tour guide. Thanks to all my reviewers! You seriously keep me going and I hope I've kept all of you and will continue to keep all of you until the end.

**Scotty1609**, speaking of Roy...

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><p>Kon landed gently, completely opposite of how Connor would have landed. Dick immediately hopped off of the clone's back, rushing towards Tim, Jason, and Damian, who sat on the steps leading to the door to the manor.<p>

"Robin!" Tim called, his Red Robin suit on, but cowl down.

Dick was content to see Jason and Damian also in their respective suits. Although he shouldn't have given Damian his Nightwing design. The blue against the black, the finger stripes, the sleek mask, it was just… cool! A prick of jealousy caused him to turn his attention elsewhere.

"Tell me all that you know." Dick ordered.

"They just marched right into the manor and took him. We were practicing in the Batcave, but Alfred…" Tim looked away and clenched his fists. "He's being taken care of by Grandpa and Grandma now."

Dick felt rage burn inside of him. First Bruce was taken and now Alfred was hurt. How severely, Tim never told him, but he was going to make sure that clown got what was coming to him.

"Pennyworth needed us," Damian said quietly, "and we weren't there."

"Yeah, well neither was Golden Boy, so buck up!" Jason pushed Damian and glared at Dick. "So where were you, huh? What happened to always protecting Bruce?"

"I was sending a message." Dick answered truthfully. "I had to go to DC to break into—"

Dick suddenly took a step back, barely avoiding an arrow with red feathers striking him in the chest. He fell onto his back and quickly rolled to his right to avoid two more arrows that followed.

"Arsenal, stop!" Kon called, stepping in front of Robin.

Immediately Tim, Jason, and Damian were aiming batarangs at a man standing on the roof of the manor with another arrow drawn and ready to shoot.

"What are you doing Superboy?" the man growled, eyes narrowed and arrow still targeting Dick. "That's the boy who broke into the Watch Tower. I got a call from Flash that you were headed this way."

"He's not an enemy, stand down!"

"What are you talking about, dude?" Flash stepped out from behind the parked limousine, hands on his hips. "He attacked me!"

"I said I was sorry." Dick mumbled. "Besides, I didn't even hit you that hard."

"You kicked me in—and another thing! Supes said he hacked into the mainframe. I bet he knows all of our ID's."

"Another reason to take him back for questioning." Arsenal growled.

"Roy?" Jason asked, lowering his batarang.

"Who are you?" Roy aimed his bow at Jason, who took off his mask. "Jason?"

"Yeah, funny," Jason crossed his arms, "you never said anything about running around like Robin Hood in your spare time."

"You never said anything either." Roy countered. "Besides, secret identity. What do you think you're doing rich boy? You haven't got any super powers. I'm sure I'd know."

"Like you're one to talk?" Jason snapped. "Pot calling the kettle black, fire crotch."

"At least Roy's got experience." Kon pointed out. "Tim, you guys don't. Did Robin talk you into this?"

"No." All four boys said at the same time.

"Don't even start, Kon. You never said anything about this either!"

"What, like I could?" Kon huffed.

"Why couldn't you? I wasn't judging! Not like you are now."

"Can you guys just shut up for a minute?" Wally turned to Robin, who was brushing himself off. "What's the deal, kid? Why'd you break into the Watch Tower. _How_ did you break in?"

"Look, I'll explain later. We've kind of got a situation on our hands."

"Dad's been kidnapped and Alfred's hurt," Tim softened his glare at Kon to a concerned frown, "we could use as much help as possible."

"Bruce has been… is it ransom they want?" Roy asked, lowering his bow.

"It's the Joker." Robin answered. "He's insane and by insane I mean completely. This isn't someone we can just go in, beat up, and toss in jail."

"It doesn't matter how dangerous he is. I will rescue Father and tear him to pieces." Damian adjusted his mask.

"You're ten. You shouldn't be doing anything!" Wally crossed his arms and stood straight up. Dick noticed how tall he was. Then again, this was seven years older Wally.

"Look, don't even start with the whole kid thing." Jason growled. "We could take you out anytime."

"Yeah, I don't think so." Roy hopped down off of the roof. "You guys are staying here. Flash, Superboy, and I will go take care of this Joker."

"Not happening. Last I checked Gotham was _my_ city." Robin snarled. "We're going to save him. It's either you join us or get out of our way."

"He's right." A feminine voice backed up, and Babs walked out in her Batgirl suit. "We'll be the one to rescue Mr. Wayne."

"Are you in?" Tim put a hand on his hip and gave Kon a pointed look. "Or are you the ones who will be staying here?"

"I want an explanation before I join up with a bunch of kids." Roy snapped.

"You never change, Roy. But, dude, the beard has got to go." Robin couldn't contain himself and started cracking up.

Everyone looked at him strangely.

"Dude's right, Roy." Wally smiled and also started to snicker. "It's really not your look."

"Agreed." Kon cracked a smile as well.

"Just explain your damn story and leave my beard alone." Roy glowered, running a hand over his beard. He'd taken Ollie's advice and he'd heard from quite a few women that it was sexy. Who were these runts to pick on it?

"Robin is from another dimension. I know it sounds weird, but it's the truth." Batgirl explained briefly.

"So when you said you were sending a message, you mean to your dimension?" Kon tilted his head and contemplated it.

"Yep. This is Golden Boy." Jason jerked his thumb towards Dick, who frowned.

"Golden Boy? You're not serious." Roy scrutinized the boy. "You said he died."

"I did." Dick sighed. "I don't know much either, but here I am. If you don't mind, Bruce's life is still at stake here."

"So wait. You sent a message across dimensions from the Watch Tower? How can you even do that?" Wally put a hand to his head. "You also know our names. Did you look those up, or have you met us in your dimension as well?"

"You're a lot older, because this is seven years into the future for me, but we were rebellious sidekicks."

"Sidekicks?" Roy snarled. "Those don't even exist."

"Well, that makes sense." Dick nodded. "I mean, I was sort of the first one. That was a while ago, and there aren't that many, but heroes aren't just adults. You were Speedy, Green Arrow's partner, but then you quit and became Red Arrow."

"It's Arsenal."

"Arsenal? Huh, I like it." Dick grinned. "Wally you were Kid Flash. Superboy you were still Superboy. Together we made a team called Young Justice with a few others. Well, actually Roy you refused to join."

"Father's still waiting." Damian tapped his foot impatiently. "Are you done reminiscing yet Grayson?"

"Just shut up, Damian. We're trying to work things out here."

"Actually, Damian is right. I'm worried about Bruce." Dick frowned. "Are you going to work with us, or do we have to put you down before you get in our way?"

"I'm coming." Kon piped up.

"I guess since there's a guy's life at stake… might as well work as a team, right?" Wally shrugged.

"Good. That just leaves Mr. Grouchy pants over there." Barbara quirked an eyebrow at him. "Unless he's too _good_ for us?"

"What are you, twelve?" Roy shot back. "I'll come, but I'm not going to be ordered around like some _sidekick_. I've been doing this longer than any of you."

Dick rolled his eyes. "Then I guess we're all set."

"Joker broadcasted about ten minutes ago that he was holding Mr. Wayne hostage in—" Barbara began before being rudely interrupted.

"A warehouse by the dock, right?" Robin waited for Batgirl's nod before sighing. "Typical Joker."

"My car is a few blocks away from here." Roy started for the west side of the mansion, expecting the Wayne boys to follow.

"We don't need a car. We'll fly." Jason answered.

"You guys don't have any powers." Kon pointed out.

"Wait, you don't?" Wally sighed. "A bunch of kids are seriously playing superhero? I don't believe this."

"Yeah? Do you believe another kick will change your mind?" Dick threatened cockily. "Cause I don't mind."

Wally took a hesitant step back. "You got lucky."

"Then let me get lucky again. C'mon." Dick pulled out his grappling hook and shot it.

Jason and Damian did the same, shooting Wally, Roy, and Kon smug looks. Barbara shook her head and after a moment did the same. Tim looked to Kon.

"You never took me out flying." Tim pouted. "You're Superboy and I can't believe you never took me flying."

"Want a ride now?"

Tim glared at him. "No."

He shot his grappling hook, swinging through the air at incredible heights. Kon sighed and looked back to Wally and Roy.

"Are they all this moody?" Wally asked.

"Always." Roy deadpanned.

Kon groaned. "I really screwed things up."

"No kidding. Good luck getting that kid to forgive you. I'm going to get a head start. See you there." Wally ditched Roy, who shook his head and nudged Superboy.

"I could use a lift then. You're faster than my car, as much as I hate to admit."

"Yeah, okay." Kon hooked his arms underneath Roy's armpits and took off. "You're in the same boat I'm in, Roy. I don't think Jason is very forgiving either."

"Don't remind me."

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><p>Okie dokie guys, next couple of chapters are going to be a bit intense. You guys make me cry sometimes because you see right through my plot! It's not fair! You guys are way too good at predictions! So, despite all of that, I hope you enjoy at least some of the more clever plot twists within this last fourth of the story. You guys are all great and I love you!<p> 


	32. Too Fast For You

Sorry guys that this chapter is short. Tomorrow's chapter is going to be three times as long. It's going to be super long! So hopefully that will make up for it. I might post the chapter later today, but it depends on if I get it done in time. Here's hoping for some super fast inspiration!

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><p>Connor turned as soon as the door to the control room opened to spot a familiar figure walking towards the three remaining Young Justice members.<p>

"Kaldur!" Connor immediately offered up a nod and a small smile.

"Connor, M'gann, Wally," Kaldur greeted, face lighting up with hope, "it is good to see you. I got a call from Green Arrow. He said they received a message from Robin."

"It's playing on loop now." M'gann gestured to one of the many screens up. "Robin is alive."

Kaldur's sturdy shoulders sagged in relief. "I would not have believed it. It has been so long."

"Batman is getting the device ready. He's not allowing any of us to go." Connor looked to Wally, who was on a continuous pace in front of the control panel near M'gann. He didn't appear to realize Kaldur had arrived.

"What?" Kaldur stood straighter, jaw set and fists clenched. "I understand he is Robin's mentor, but we are his teammates. We should be allowed to also retrieve our friend."

"We tried telling him that, but it didn't exactly work. Batman's hard to argue with." M'gann bit her lip and fiddled with her fingers. "I could feel his emotions. I don't think Robin is _just_ a partner to him. I felt more than just what we're feeling."

"That's because he's not. Rob's more like a son to him." Wally spoke quickly and vigorously, continuing to pace furiously. "I'll rot in hell before I let Rob get hurt by him again. No, we're going with."

"Wally, he already said—"

"I don't care what he said!" Wally shouted, gaining unwanted attention from the few remaining people in the control room. "Let's talk elsewhere."

"Sounds good. I think it's safe two rooms down." M'gann led the way, and made sure no one else was following before ushering them into an empty room.

"What do you think you guys are doing?"

Wally shot out of the room to face Roy Harper, frown on his face and expression a bit lighter than what Wally was used to.

"Roy! Hey, c'mere!" Without Roy's consent, Wally pushed him into the room and locked the door. "I've got a plan. We're not letting Batman go in alone."

"Let's hear it then." Roy nodded and the planning began.

* * *

><p>"Look, Bats, even though it sounds like a perfectly solid plan, we still haven't tested the second device yet. What if it doesn't send you back home?"<p>

Barry looked between the two devices. One was polished, green and silver metals decorating the outside of a darker green base; the other was a mixture of different metals and very rough around the edges.

"Robin found a way to communicate home. From the message, it sounds as if he infiltrated the Watch Tower, plugged in the League's communication codes, and hoped for the best. Because it was successful, I'll do the same with this device." Batman held up the rougher model. "We'll send a small physical message to the Watch Tower with the coordinates of that dimension. Once we know you've received it safely, I will return with Robin."

"What if it doesn't?"

"There isn't time for ifs now. He called for help, and the longer I argue here, the higher the chances of him being critically or mortally injured." Batman growled, taking both devices in hand. "I'm leaving now."

He pressed a button, taking a step back as the original device whirred to life. There was a suction sound and then a large chunk of the floor was torn open, revealing nothing but darkness. The darkness was darker than that of space, but was covered up by a window. Securing the other device, Batman took a step forward, listening to the crack of the glass.

With one last nod to the rest of the founding member of the League, Batman gave a harsh stomp on the window and it broke, dropping him into the abyss along with sharp shards of the broken glass. Superman couldn't help but lurch forward; his instincts telling him that falling through a window was never good. Wonder Woman caught his arm and he steeled himself.

The floor began to repair itself when two blurs rushed past them. They had just enough time to register Kaldur on Connor's back and M'gann in his arms with Wally pulling along Roy just barely ahead of them. They, too, fell into the abyss.

"Wait, stop!" Green Arrow lunged forward but the floor was complete just as he fell to his knees.

"Those kids…" Dinah snarled, pulling Ollie up. "They never listen, no matter how much any of us tells them no."

"They're teenagers, what do you expect?" Barry sighed and put a hand to his forehead. "There's going to be hell on our hands when Bats gets back—if he doesn't kill them first."

"Is this funny to you?" Clark grouched, red cape swishing as he rounded on Barry.

"No," Barry answered immediately, "but what are we going to do? Go after them? The device left with Bats and if you haven't noticed, it's too late to stop them now. My nephew just crossed dimensions and I have to go home and explain it to my wife."

"He's right." Diana crossed her arms. "What's done is done. Now we wait."

* * *

><p>Just an off topic question; Does anyone look at Chubby Bubbles pictures? Or how about play Amnesia? Just wondering. Those things have been on my mind for the past two days.<p> 


	33. Damian Did It!

Okay guys, as promised, long chapter. Ugh, I don't know how great tomorrow's update is going to be. I have a two hour long dentist appointment and I won't be feeling all that great.

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><p>The warehouse was not abandoned as was typical of this type of situation. No, it was filled to the brim with places to hide. There were more guards than was Joker fashion and it screamed wrong in every sense of the word.<p>

Dick swallowed hard, trying to quell the fear and panic. This wasn't safe. It wasn't safe for Jason, Tim, and Damian. It wasn't even safe for Wally or Roy or Babs. This was something Batman took care of. This very wrong, scary situation he should never have been afraid of was always taken care of by the night personified.

"We should split up." Roy advised. "With all of the guards it'll be easier to take them down without seeming like an army."

"Yeah, I'll take Tim—er, what do you call yourself?" Kon sheepishly eyed Tim, who only shook his head in aggravation and pulled up his cowl.

"Red Robin. Jay is Red Hood, Damian is Nightwing and Dick is Robin."

"I'm Batgirl." Barbara added, glaring at Tim for leaving her out.

Robin felt another small surge of panic. They were going to split up; he wouldn't be able to keep a close eye on them and protect them like he failed to protect Bruce. If they ended up seriously hurt he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

"Red Robin and I will take the East." Kon decided, linking their arms together.

Tim struggled to remove his arm, but Superboy's strength told him otherwise. Jason only gave a knowing smirk before pulling on his hood.

"I'll take the West with _Arsenal_ over here then." Jason gave a mock salute before shoving Roy off to the side.

"Yeah, I call Batgirl." Wally was at Barbara's side faster than she could blink and was a bit taken aback when he cozied up next to her. "Which side you want to take babe? Up or down?"

Barbara grimaced and grabbed onto Damian, who looked displeased with the manhandling. "I'm going with Nightwing, thanks. We'll take the South side."

Robin would've snickered if he wasn't so worried. Damian was small, but he packed a powerful punch and was good on his feet. He was agile, but not the greatest strategist. Babs on the other hand could have three or four back up plans with just a quick scan of the terrain and crooks.

They'll be fine, he told himself over and over. They were all going to be okay. Jason and Tim were teamed up with his teammates—his _older_, more experienced teammates who would take care of them.

"I can't believe her." Wally groaned. "Ousted for an ankle biter."

"Come on, we get the North." Robin tugged him along before stopping suddenly. "Hey, listen up real quick. If you run into the Joker, don't try to fight him directly."

"What? Why?" Wally quirked an eyebrow from underneath his own cowl.

"I've been fighting him for years. I've never been able to take him out by myself. He's insane and he doesn't hesitate to kill." Robin eyed Babs and Damian cautiously. "It's best if we avoid him completely."

No one said anything and continued on their way. Robin sighed; he could only hope they would heed his words. Wally was still visibly upset that Babs had rejected him and was muttering about girl troubles the entire way to the North side.

* * *

><p>Kon eyed Tim, who was silent as the grave and mentally counting guards on patrol. He began to question whether or not Tim was actually going to forgive him.<p>

"Hey, look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Kon started, waiting for a hint of response. It was no use, the cowl covered everything and Tim was crouched down, so he couldn't read his body language. "Would you have told me?"

"This doesn't feel right." Tim answered. "None of these clowns are actually in clown suits."

"So? They're bad guys. Since when did you care about what they wear?"

"Clowns took my dad, Kon. If these aren't the clowns, then are we at the right place? Is it a set up?"

"Probably," Kon sighed, "it's not like anyone didn't see this one coming. Holding a rich guy for hostage, only for it to be a set up to trap the real target."

"So who's the real target?"

"Us, most likely."

"He's never seen us, Kon."

"That's true, so who has he seen?"

"Dick never said anything about meeting this Joker." Tim narrowed his eyes. "He always tells us how many he took down on patrol and who. It's how he helps train us. We try and guess how he did it in the scenario that took place that night."

"So if he really doesn't know about any of us, who is he after?"

"I don't know," Tim pulled a couple of smoke bombs from his utility belt, "but we don't have any more time for chats."

"Fine with me. We allowed to make some noise?" Kon grinned, cracking his knuckles.

Tim gave him a look. "Are you seriously asking that right now?"

"What? I'm a bit of a loud person."

Tim sighed, throwing the small smoke bombs down in front of the building. Within moments the guards were coughing and unable to see their assailants. Kon grabbed one by the head and threw him into another. Tim landed two solid punches to one guard's head before elbowing him in the chest, sending him reeling back a couple of steps before dropping to the floor.

He wasn't expecting a blow to the head from behind, nor the rain of bullets afterwards aimed towards Kon, who flew into the offending guard and smashed him into the side of the warehouse. It was too late to keep the guards silent; one was screaming into a radio and another was blowing a loud whistle.

Tim's head felt like it was going to explode and the ground was swaying back and forth. Kon knelt next to Tim, shaking him back into action.

"Come on! More are on the way, and I think you might have a concussion."

"No," Tim groaned, "just a little dizzy."

"Get up!" Kon urged. "Let's move and hide. We'll ambush them in the woods and draw attention away from the others."

"Okay." Tim allowed himself to lean against Kon's muscular figure and sped out of the still foggy courtyard. "Whoa!"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Kon pulled the cowl down and examined Tim's head. "You've got a nasty bump, but I think you'll be okay."

"Just let me… let me…" Tim lurched and barely made it to the corner of another warehouse before retching violently. Kon cringed and patted his back until he stopped. "Okay, I'm good."

"That didn't sound good."

"No, my head hurts," Tim pulled his cowl back on, "but the world stopped spinning. I can fight."

"Good, cause I think we've got company."

Six gun toting guards were rounding the corner, ugly scowls on their faces. Tim armed himself with three batarangs, and Kon opted for heat vision. The burst of heat aimed for their shoes caught them off guard and Tim released his projectiles, striking two in the right hand and one in the leg. Not waiting to relish in the groans of pain, he jumped into the fray, side sweeping one before kicking him in the head. Kon took out the other two uninjured guards, bashing their heads together.

"Nice!" Tim gave him a thumbs up and turned to take out one of the gunmen with a batarang still imbedded into his palm when he noticed they were gone. "Uh oh. We lost them."

"Looks like we're playing hunter now."

"Looks like."

They rounded the corner back to the main warehouse, keeping an eye out for any sniper that might be waiting to take them out.

* * *

><p>"You've ruined everything!" Damian snapped, eying his prey below from the roof of a neighboring warehouse.<p>

"What? What have I ruined?"

"I was supposed to team up with Grayson. He must be shown the proper way to eliminate his enemies."

"Okay, rule number 6, _Nightwing_, we don't _eliminate_ the enemies." Babs put her hands on her hips. "We aren't criminals, we're vigilantes."

"Vigilantes don't follow the law. We break it."

"That doesn't mean we kill people!" Barbara hissed. "You'd be jailed in no time. Not to mention ruin vigilantism for everyone else. Thanks, but I rather love my job."

"Oh, it's a job now Gordon?" Damian sneered. "This is the first time we've been out in costume."

"So? I like it already. Besides, I'm the Commissioner's daughter. You'd be in the slammer at the drop of a hat."

Damian scoffed. "You wouldn't do it."

"Yes, I would."

There was a loud whistle and suddenly three of the six guards on their side were running. Barbara and Damian crouched lower, eyes narrowed, analyzing the situation.

"They're heading east." Barbara whispered.

"I knew Drake would mess this up!" Damian hissed back. "He probably spent too much time sucking face with Kent to realize they'd been caught. For this, I hope he at least dies. Father wouldn't care, he has me."

Barbara punched him in the arm. "That's not nice! This is serious. If Tim and Superboy set off an alarm they could be hurt or worse."

"Good. If they're incapable then they don't deserve this position."

"He's your brother!"

"We're not related by blood. He might as well be my second cousin four times removed for all the good titles do."

"Damian, I swear—"

"It's _Nightwing_ out here." Damian interrupted. "If you're so worried about Drake, go rescue him. I'll take out the rest of these punks."

Much like before, Damian flipped off of the roof. The flip was nowhere near as elegant as Dick's, but the brat was still agile and flexible. Barbara quickly followed, cursing as she watched him swoop down and land on one of the guards, ramming his elbow into the solar plexus of another, earning a cry of agony as his ribs snapped.

With one last lunge, Damian head butted the last guard, barely avoiding being shot in the process. Barbara caught up to him and meant to grab him, but he slipped past her and started for the interior of the warehouse.

Before she could once again take off after him, a violent tug on her hair knocked her backwards before she was shoved forward onto her stomach. There was someone on top of her and memories of that dark night in the alley caused all rational thought to leave. She struggled, but once again her hair was tugged and sickly sweet feminine voice filled her ears.

"You've got some pretty locks." The woman giggled from on top of her. "Reminds me of Red. I don't like it when other people copy my friends. Maybe I should give you a haircut!"

There was cold steel pressed against her cheek. Barbara froze, trying to control her breathing.

"Mistah J likes to make people smile with this knife; but it's a bit too messy for me. I just want to cut off your head! Your name isn't Robin is it?" She took the knife away and made a strange pouting sound. "I can't kill ya if you're Robin. Mistah J says I have to bring you straight to him."

"Yes, my name is Robin." Barbara answered slowly.

"Really? Not fair! Not fair at all!" The woman got off of her and hauled her up. "You know, Puddin' hasn't spent half as much time with me and the babies as he has lookin' for you. I get real jealous."

The tone turned dangerous, and Barbara wrapped her foot around the woman's ankle, pulling forward and forcing the woman to fall backwards.

"Ow! What'd ya do that for?"

The woman was dressed like a jester, hat and everything. Her blue eyes were surrounded by white makeup. Barbara backed up and took her stance.

"I can't believe it!" She suddenly pointed an accusatory finger at her and her irritation turned into rage. "Mistah J's been cheating on me! Shoulda known Robin wasn't a superhero name! I'll kill him! But not before I kill you! You're going to feel exactly what Harley Quinn can do to someone who dares touch my Puddin'!"

"What?" Barbara watched as Harley stood up, eyes blazing with rage. "I'm not with anyone! My name isn't Robin either, it's Batgirl!"

"Who cares?" Harley screamed back at her, grabbing the knife she'd dropped when she fell. "You're a dead bat!"

With narrowed eyes, Babs leapt at her. Harley met her head on, wrapping herself around Batgirl and grabbing at her red hair once more. Batgirl pulled off Harley's hat and also grabbed a fist full of her blonde hair, slamming her forehead into the floor.

Harley snarled and kicked Batgirl in the jaw, sending her stumbling back and off of her. She swung the knife, hoping to slice at any part of Barbara. She managed to catch her arm, carving a jagged line into the flesh there.

Barbara pulled back her left arm and delivered a left hook. It caught Harley in the stomach and she doubled over, trying to take in as much air as she could. Following up with a kick to the chest and another left hook to the face, Harley was down.

Now that the adrenaline from the fight was over, Barbara felt the full burning pain of the slice in her arm. Doing her best to cover the wound, she knelt over Harley and took out a pair of handcuffs. She didn't want her to come back to finish the job she'd started later on.

"Alright, Babs," She cheered herself on breathlessly, "you just took out your first bad guy. Not bad."

* * *

><p>Roy glanced over at Jason, who was sort of just standing back. It would help if he could see the kid's face, but that stupid red hood kept all but his eyes completely covered.<p>

"What?" Jason asked gruffly.

"Well?" Roy replied.

"Well what?"

"Aren't you just dying to show off your skills? You're a new superhero, aren't you?"

Jason chuckled. "You've got it all wrong. I don't show off, I just go bad ass when I need to."

"Uh-huh, sure." Roy rolled his eyes. "One thing's never changed. You're still cock sure of yourself."

"Naturally. You going to take these guys out, Harper, or what?" Jason motioned towards his bow, which lay in his hand, so far unused.

"Timing is key. What, Golden Boy never you teach you that?"

"He taught me lots," Jason shot back evenly, "Now shoot your damn bow."

A whistle broke out and the guards quickly nodded at each other, but stayed put.

"Great, someone set off the alarm." Roy growled, loading up three arrows.

"Probably the brat."

Roy let loose his arrows, freezing two of the guards and striking one in the shoulder. Jason tackled one from behind, cracking the man's jaw on the pavement before picking up his gun. Taking a moment to examine it, he grinned.

"Nice."

"You son of a—" The guard was cut off by a bullet to the left foot. He cried in pain and fell, clutching his feet to his chest in agony.

Jason shot another in the hip and Roy took out the last three with more arrows. Blowing on the end of the gun, he rounded on whoever it was that was trying to sneak up on him. He was surprised to his brother and Kon at the other end of his barrel.

"Whoa, Jay, it's us!" Tim put his hands up.

"Whatever happened to no names on the field?" Jason growled, lowering the gun.

"Sorry, force of habit." Tim snapped back.

"Was it you two who set off the alarm?" Roy glared at them, looking for some form of guilt to trip on their faces.

"It was Damian." Tim and Kon answered together flawlessly.

"Figures."

Kon sent Tim a small smile, and Tim sent him one back. When in doubt, agree to lie and blame it on your younger brother who wants to make your life hell.

"We lost a couple of guys. You seen 'em?" Kon asked, scanning through the groaning bodies.

"If we did we got 'em." Jason answered. "Should we rescue the brat and Batgirl or go in?"

"Rock paper scissors." Tim held out his fist. "Whoever wins gets to go rescue Dad. Loser has to rescue Damian."

"Done."

Jason won two out of three and flaunted his victory. "Have fun, _Red Robin_."

"Shut up. C'mon!" Tim pulled at Kon and the four once again split into two teams of two.

"If there were this many outside guys, there's got to be more inside guys. Hard to tell, though. There's so much crap in this hell hole I can't even spot anything other than boxes and crates." Roy informed, peeking through a dirty window. "Let's go. Oh, leave the gun. Makes too much noise."

Jason scowled, but did as asked, tossing his favorite weapon. "Golden Boy said we don't use guns. I beg to differ. If I find a better one, I'm taking it."

"Fine. Bruce is going to kill you though."

"Feh, if he can even get into the Batcave."

* * *

><p>For those who don't know what Chubby Bubbles is, it's a hilarious internet meme going around. Simply google it and you'll find some incredibly hilarious pictures. As for Amnesia, it's a horror game that recently came out. Scariest thing I've ever seen. Reaction videos are also hilarious.<p>

**Darkrubaby**, I know it's a lot of characters to be working around with, but I think I can make it work. I struggled for hours on whether or not I was going to bring in Kaldur and Roy(young Justice). I was going to include Artemis as well, but decided against it. But I think it's important for most of the team to be there, and I've something planned for Roy. It's not much, mind you, but it's enough to be planned on, I guess.


	34. Open Season

I am so sorry this is kind of late. I was really struggling to put this together.

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><p>Robin and Flash never got the chance to take out any guards; they were already running at the sound of the whistles. Sighing in both frustration and concern, Robin tried to focus on the task at hand. Bruce came first. Once he was safe, he could worry about the damage done to everyone else. Wally had sped off and around the inside of the warehouse, coming back two minutes later.<p>

"There are about sixteen guys in there, all in various locations." Wally paused before continuing. "I didn't go in every single room, so there may be more; but Wayne is being held in the biggest room towards the center.

"His condition?"

"Beat up."

"Details?" Dick was starting to wonder if Wally knew how to take the time to reveal details.

"Split lip, bloody nose, probably broken, and not much else that I could see. The guy is wearing a suit, so it's not like I could see anything else."

"Okay, how many are guarding him?"

"None."

That was new. They must have known he couldn't break out, pointing to graver injuries than Wally had thought. Wally tapped his foot as Robin formed a plan.

"You didn't see any sign of the Joker?"

"Unless you count four guys in clown suits, then no." Wally quirked an eyebrow. "What's the guy look like, anyway?"

"Creepy, insane, wears a lot of purple." Robin described off hand, struggling to put everything together. "Alright, it sounds like a trap, but we've got no choice."

"Look, I'll run in, grab him, and run out. No guards, no worry."

"I'm coming with you."

"Fine, let's just get a move on, okay?"

Well, it was good to see Wally was still as impatient as ever. Wally zoomed through the warehouse, not really looking for any trip wires or anything of the sort. He knew the way and made quick work of the distance. Robin couldn't keep up, but scrutinized every inch of the warehouse. It was odd. The guards weren't really coordinated, they weren't all dressed the same, and Bruce was left unguarded.

It had to be a trap.

When he finally caught up to Wally, he found a situation very different from the one he expected. Wally had his hands in the air, scowl on his face and seven guns trained on him. Bruce was still tied up in his chair, his focus was on the Joker, who was laughing and mocking not only Flash, but a severely beaten Damian, bound and held up onto his knees by his hair.

"What's this? Little birdie doesn't want to chirp for me?" Joker cackled again, issuing a kick to Damian's ribs. "All to think, I spent all this time hunting you down. I heard you were a lot tougher than this."

"Let him go." Bruce ordered, though it was more of a plead. "You've got me and you'll get your money."

"Oh, how silly of you Mr. Wayne." Joker turned his attention back to his other captive. "I never wanted you. Your name was just big enough to grab the bird's attention."

"Well, you've got it." Robin stepped out into the open, making brief eye contact with Wally. The silent message was received. On his signal, Wally would move.

"Oh? We've got two little birds, huh?" Joker grinned madly, looking back and forth between Damian and Dick. "Well, now, who might you be?"

"Robin." Dick answered, looking behind Joker at Damian, whose pained scowl said more than enough. He was in serious pain. Where was Barbara though? "The one and only. You can let him go. There isn't a bounty on his head."

Wally gave Dick an alarmed look, but focused on looking for the signal. Bruce also looked back at him, surprise and devastation evident on his bruised and bloody face. Robin stood tall, staring Joker in the eye.

"Then who is he?"

"Nightwing." Damian spat, the clown behind him pulling roughly on his hair for speaking.

"Hm, you've got a point there," Joker snapped his fingers and a shot rang out.

Damian slumped to the floor, blood flowing out from underneath him. Robin quickly gave the signal and Wally jumped into action, collecting guns and avoiding bullets. Dick lunged for the Joker, punching him in the jaw before following up with a roundhouse kick. Joker stumbled back, but wasn't down. His associates were quickly taken care of by Wally, and now the speedster was knelt down next to Damian.

"Untie me!" Bruce struggled in the chair he was tied to.

Wally did as ordered, and both of them carefully turned the boy over. Blood was pouring from a bullet wound to the hip and Damian was unresponsive.

"Look, he needs a hospital now!"

"Go!" Bruce carefully deposited his son into Wally's hands.

Wally was gone in the next instant. Bruce grabbed one of the guns from the fallen clowns and aimed it for Joker's head. Robin stepped in front of it, speaking lowly.

"T, Jay, and B are outside. They might need help, so go."

"He shot—"

"I know, but I've got it covered." Dick backed away from the recovering Joker and pushed Bruce back towards the door. "Go!"

Bruce looked between Dick and the madman. He really had no choice. Robin was better equipped to handle this situation and he was still hurt from the beatings.

"Be safe."

Bruce, gun still in hand, left the warehouse room and Robin prayed he made it out to safety. Joker began to laugh hysterically. Now that Dick was on his own, the Joker seemed far scarier than usual.

"You've made it so easy!" Joker reached into a pocket and tossed the object at him. Gas immediately spurted from the circular device.

Robin kicked it back at the Joker and pulled an inhaler, breathing in that gas instead. Joker waited for a moment, just long enough for Robin to store his inhaler and give a confident smirk.

"Laughing gas. It's too bad I've got the antidote."

Joker's grin fell. "Who are you?"

"Joker, Joker, did you really think you could get away with keeping him all to yourself?"

The voice was familiar and Joker grimaced when Two Face stepped out into view. "I don't believe _you_ were invited to our little play date."

"Yeah, well I didn't get an invitation either. Too bad, isn't it?" That was Poison Ivy, her vines wrapping around a few boxes and crushing them.

Robin took a step back. Joker he could handle, but Two Face and Poison Ivy along with Joker was asking for death. Ivy saw his move and her plants slithered towards the door.

"I saw him first!" Joker snarled, more irritated with his new guests than anything else. "Go find your own victims."

"There's none with such a high bounty, you know this." Riddler also popped out of a hiding place on a cat walk up above.

"Televising your whereabouts wasn't such a great idea after all, was it Joker?" Robin quipped. It was what he did when he was scared. He made jokes and did his best to distract the enemy. It covered up the fear, put arrogance in his voice, and generally created an opening.

"Fine, fine," Joker sighed pulling out a gun of his own, "let's play a game then. It's open season; whoever hunts the bird boy first, wins."

The rest of them seemed to agree, eying Robin hungrily. He was in trouble. He was in a lot of trouble. He couldn't run just yet. Bruce probably hadn't gotten all the way out of the warehouse and he needed to make sure their eyes didn't stray from target to target.

"You know, I'm really not a fan of hunting." Robin flipped back, avoiding Two Face's bullet before back tracking to avoid one of Joker's. This wasn't looking good at all. Ivy's vines were still creeping closer to him. He really needed something—anything to distract them long enough, give him some time.

The wall below Riddler burst into pieces and knocked everyone off balance. Flames were spreading and the vines creeping instantly recoiled under the heat.

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><p><strong>JuJu<strong>, thanks for getting all of the stuff I've missed. Thanks to **EchoedMusic**, as well. Love it when you guys find my mistakes.


	35. Mission Complete

Sorry guys, I know it's a little short again today; but I needed to stop at this point. Next chapter should be significantly longer.

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><p>"There's no door to the inside from over here." Roy looked up, hoping to see some sort of window or opening to climb in through. No such luck. "We're going to have to go around."<p>

Jason frowned before rummaging through the fallen guards' clothes and armor. He pulled out a far too large weapon and grinned. "Oh yeah, this'll work."

He turned to Roy, who was still trying to figure out how to break in without going around.

"Move." Jason ordered, hauling something up onto his shoulder. "I'm going to make an opening."

"Wha—" Roy didn't have time to object and threw himself to the right and onto the ground to avoid the missile crashing into the side of the building.

The force of the explosion threw Roy further away and into the side of anther warehouse. The force of the missile being launched coupled by the resulting explosion _launched_ Jason into another warehouse. Pain flared and Jason saw black spots, his ears ringing painfully in his ears. Roy, who was now nursing a dislocated shoulder, looked at the damage Jason had caused. The missile had torn through two entire rooms, setting more of the warehouse ablaze.

"You idiot!" Roy hissed, stumbling towards the hurt teen. "Who gave you a _bazooka_ and what made you think launching it was a good idea? Huh?"

Jason only groaned, struggling to move. Kneeling down, albeit painfully, Roy examined him quickly. His left ankle was broken and he probably had a concussion.

"Damn it!" Roy looked up to see someone running towards them. With his shoulder busted, he wasn't going to be able to launch any arrows. He could only hope whoever was coming for them was friendly.

Sure enough, Bruce Wayne was rushing forward in near panic. Once he reached the two injured heroes, he knelt down next to Jason, who had already removed his red hood.

"Son, can you hear me?"

"Dad?" Jason couldn't really see anything. The spots were taking over and he was quickly ebbing into unconsciousness.

"Yeah, come on, we need to get you up and out of here." Bruce carefully wrapped his arms around his son and lifted him up, mindful of the ankle. "Where's Tim?"

"He and Superboy are on the other side. They were going to help Nightwing and Batgirl."

"Batgirl? Damian was with someone? He was alone when they brought him in." Bruce grunted and kept his pace, moving as far from the burning warehouse as possible.

Robin might have been hurt or needed help, but he'd told Bruce to go; and he had his sons to worry about. This made two out of the three injured. He'd have to trust Robin to get out on his own. He'd saved Bruce before, he'd taken out more than fifty men in a night, and Bruce could only pray he'd make it out unscathed from this as well.

"They must have gotten split up." Roy took shallow breaths, hoping to lessen the pain of his shoulder. "At least we can hope so. Where is he now?"

"Hospital. The Flash took him—who are you?"

"Arsenal; I'm with the Justice League."

"The League is here?"

"Some of us."

"He'll be fine then." Bruce turned the corner of another warehouse. "We need to get back to the Manor."

"Agreed, there isn't anything I can do with my shoulder busted. Flash should be back to help out the others soon."

"Do you have a car?"

"I flew." Roy answered bitterly. He should've brought his car anyways. At the expectant look Bruce gave him, he added "Not by myself; Superboy flew me over."

"Of course." Bruce muttered.

* * *

><p>Barbara winced, clutching at her arm once more. Harley had stayed out, but Barbara had lost Damian. From the right she heard footsteps and quickly grabbed a flash bomb from her utility belt. As soon as the footsteps were close enough, she threw it, covering her face with her cape. The flash went off and there was a familiar cry of pain. Removing her cape, she saw Tim with his palms dug into his eyes and Kon rubbing at his.<p>

"Red Robin! Superboy! Sorry, I panicked!" Babs stepped over Harley and approached them as they rubbed the white spots out of their eyes.

"Are you okay?" Tim ground out, still blinking furiously and trying to clear his vision.

"I should be asking you that." Babs quipped. "I lost Nightwing. Little punk gave me the slip and I had to handle _her_ all by myself. I took her out, though. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be rescuing Mr. Wayne?"

"We figured you needed rescuing," Kon explained, "so we came to help you. I guess you didn't need it."

"We need to rescue Dad." Tim pressed. "Maybe Robin and Flash got in, but they might need back up."

"She's going to be out for a while," Barbara jerked a thumb at Harley, "and Damian could be in trouble as well."

"Let's g—" Tim was cut off as a large explosion rocked the warehouse, sending half of it up in smoke.

The three stood there a moment in shock, before Tim hurtled toward the door of the warehouse. Kon was faster, disregarding all need for stealth and ripping the door off of it's hinges. Heat blasted outwards, causing the two to take a step back. The warehouse was in flames; smoke billowing at an alarming rate up into the sky.

Then suddenly from one of the upper levels the window smashed and a ball of black and yellow came tumbling out. It was Robin, somersaulting once, twice, three, four times before hitting the ground on his feet.

"Get out of here! Go!"

"Damian and Dad—"

"Already out! Go! Get back to Manor and don't get seen!" Robin started to take off before Barbara grabbed his arm. "We don't have time! I'll meet you there, okay?"

"Where are you going?"

"Drawing their attention away from you," Robin took a look back before pushing her towards Kon and Tim, "now go!"

Tim and Kon tugged her further back and Robin ran as fast as he could the other way. Mission was a success, then. Kon picked up Barbara and Tim pulled out his grappling hook. They were about ten feet away when they heard the angry voices behind them.

Tim turned back and saw every criminal Robin had described. The Joker, Poison Ivy, Two Face, and Riddler. They were all running in the opposite direction as Tim, Kon, and Babs—no, they were all chasing Robin.

"Tim!"

Tim looked back at Kon hovering and looking concerned. "Sorry, let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Angelrider13<strong>, I know Artemis isn't present with the group on their way to retrieve Robin. I swapped her with Roy because he has more of an emotional tie to Robin. Also, if the team split up after Robin's disappearance, I doubt anyone would have been able to contact her.


	36. Transition Complete

Oh my gosh, you guys, this is getting close to the end. I mean, there's probably only about ten chapters left, max. Just in time for school, I guess. Good news is I have another fic in the process of being planned out. Bad news is, I start up school and have to write my play for my drama class to perform, so I'm going to be a bit preoccupied for the most part.

* * *

><p>Tim paced. He had been pacing for the entire day; carving out a path from where Roy sat uncomfortably in the Batcave with a sling around his left arm, past Jason, still asleep from when Alfred put him out to fix up his broken ankle, past Kon, who mentally counted the number of times Tim had passed him, past Alfred, still recovering from being pushed around by the clown who had taken Bruce, past Martha and Thomas, who sat next to Damian, home from the hospital strictly on Bruce's bribery of the hospital, past Bruce on the Batcomputer, and back around in a circle.<p>

There was a small groan from the miniature superhero on a temporary hospital bed set up in the cave and instantly Bruce was at Damian's side.

"Father?"

"How do you feel?" Bruce ran a long hand across the boy's forehead. "You're okay now, son. Just rest easy."

"My identity?"

"Wasn't compromised." Bruce answered seriously.

Sure, he was angry his sons had gone behind his back to train to become superheroes. He was angry that he hadn't been informed of this from his family, and he was absolutely livid that they were hurt trying to rescue him, but he knew he must save it for after this ordeal. There was no sense in yelling at them now, not when everyone was in such bad shape.

"You hurt?" Damian looked his father over before looking past him and out at the rest of the occupants of the cave.

"In better shape than you are. Now sleep, Damian."

"Robin?" Damian asked, his eyelids fluttering. Bruce must have clicked the button for more morphine.

No one answered him and he was pulled back into the peaceful oblivion of unconsciousness. Tim stopped pacing and turned to his father.

"We need to go find him!"

"No."

"Dad, he could be hurt or—"

Bruce cut off his son. "You could as well!"

Tim curled his hands into fists, struggling to release his frustrations without completely blowing his top. Jason piped up from his spot just in time to save him.

"It's part of the job."

"It's not your job. Not any longer." Bruce snapped, his voice echoing through the cave. "You said he'd meet us here. We'll wait for him."

"He was being chased by those guys!" Tim argued. "He's our brother! Why won't you let us go get him?"

Bruce stewed on the thought. Tim considered Dick his brother. It was probably true, at least now anyways. The boy had shown up nearly a year ago and wormed his way into everyone's hearts.

"Sir," Alfred offered, getting up approaching the two, "if I may?"

"Of course, Alfred." Bruce sighed, backing off and going back to Damian's side.

Martha traded places with him, going to sit and care for Jason, who whispered to her. Thomas rubbed at his temples. He couldn't exactly blame his son. Bruce was caught between a rock and a hard place. If he let Tim go find Dick, there was the possibility of another injured son needing to be carried home. However, by not looking for Dick, it was like leaving a lost sheep to be slaughtered by the wolves. Could he risk one son to save the life of a child who had saved his own?

"Young master Timothy, your father doesn't want to lose you." Alfred grabbed the fifteen year old's shoulders. "It's dangerous out there."

"I know, Alfred, that's why we need to go save Dick now! We're wasting our time by arguing here."

"Who was it who trained you?"

"It was Dick." Tim answered, annoyed, frustrated, and not quite getting what Alfred was trying to say.

"Who is it that you want to rescue?" Alfred offered a small comforting smile. "Young master Richard has shown enormous skill and we must have faith that he will come home safely. If anyone can get out of this, it's him."

"Tim, I'll go, okay?" Kon stood up. "I'm Superboy; it's going to take more than a few bad guys to bring me down."

"He's _my brother_, Kon." Tim suddenly pulled his cowl on. None of them had changed except for Damian, now clothed in hospital garb. "I'm going with you."

"I said no!"

"I don't care!" Tim hollered back. "I'm not letting him die because you're scared I'm going to get hurt."

With that final note, Tim rushed out of the cave, Kon stumbling to catch up to him. Bruce stared after him for a moment, trying to decide what to do.

* * *

><p>Dick had never been so thankful the sun was down. He was exhausted; running from villains, insane villains, for just under two days without more than an hour break and no sleep was starting to really take its toll on him.<p>

He was running out of places to hide. The second he tried to hide down in the sewers Killer Croc had nearly taken off his leg. He tried to get away from people and hide in the parks and forested areas toward the edge of Gotham, but Poison Ivy was always lurking, lying in wait to wrap a vine around his neck and squeeze what remaining breath he had left out of his body.

Penguin was on constant air watch. Helicopters patrolled the city, police or unmarked, and Robin knew from experience neither were safe. He couldn't hop rooftops or use his grappling hook. Two Face had guys everywhere making rounds in black vehicles. It didn't matter what type, if they were black they were on the hunt for him. Any streets were out of the question.

The Joker would pop out from any corner, any building, anywhere. Nowhere was safe from the most insane of the bunch. Robin was running out of options. He was tired, dehydrated, hungry, and his utility belt was almost bare.

Batman. He needed Batman.

Batman wasn't coming. He'd sent the message three days ago; he would have gotten a reply, a signal, anything if he was preparing to come get him. If he even got the message at all.

He hoped Damian was going to live. Guilt stabbed him over and over as he thought about what he'd done. From the beginning he was never supposed to have gotten involved. He'd given in to weakness and ruined Bruce's life all over again. If Damian died, Dick knew Bruce was going to hunt him down, too. Tim, Jason, and Babs might even join the manhunt.

"_You killed someone tonight. You're just as bad as they are!"_

No. Not this again. Dick struggled to swallow down the tears. What if he had killed Damian? Now he had two lives to make up for. Could he even do it? He'd tried, but in the end he'd just taken another life. He was better off dead.

Batman must be satisfied right now; Dick was being hunted down like Batman hunted _them _down. He deserved this, and it was only a matter of time before _justice_ was dealt his way. He was never good enough.

He wasn't going to survive the night.

There was the laugh from behind him and Robin bolted, running down the street as fast as he could make his exhausted body move. Bullets hailed down from the helicopter patrolling this area. He whimpered as he pushed himself down behind an outdoor restaurant table, managing to wait until the helicopter ran out of bullet before darting once more.

Right as he ran by an intersection, abandoned by the terrified civilians who had just barely caught on to the fact that Gotham was more dangerous than they'd ever imagined at the moment, there was a burst of light and out of the corner of his eye, Dick could've sworn he saw the long pointed ears of Batman's suit.

He didn't have time to stop. His body was in flight mode and he kept up on his path, ducking around the corner before the light grew brighter and then vanished, leaving six figures in the middle of the intersection.

* * *

><p>Batman took in the sight of his city. Gotham was a mess from where he'd been placed. Two of the nearby buildings were on fire, another wrecked and half knocked down. A helicopter hovered in the air above him, and a burst of light coupled with a few groans from behind him stole most of his attention away from the helicopter.<p>

Five _children_ were tangled up on the street. Slowly, each of them got up and brushed each other off. Batman glared at each and every one of them, lips curling into a snarl. They had no right to be here.

"_What_ do you think you're _doing_?" Batman barked, causing M'gann to flinch and clutch at Connor's arm.

"Rescuing my best friend." Wally answered, looking around. The place was a mess, and he hoped Robin was still as safe as he said he was in the message he sent.

Batman bit back the angry roar he planned on dealing out to Kid Flash. There was nothing he could do now. He was stuck with these kids and he might as well put them to work. What a coincidence it was that he'd decided this _now_; the helicopter spat out bullets in chaotic lines and Batman dove out of the way, already planning a counter attack.

He never got the chance, however, because Red Arrow got to it first, firing off an arrow at the helicopter blades, freezing it. The helicopter gave no warning, just falling straight to the ground and crashing in an explosion. Wally immediately set to work trying to dig out any survivors while Kaldur put out the flames.

"This doesn't look safe." Connor stopped for a second and listened. He heard the sound of air being pushed out of the way and fast.

M'gann furrowed her brows, trying to figure out what had caught his attention. She realized just a second too late as two figures approached Young Justice. One was flying in a blue and red suit, holding onto the arms of another, who wore red and black. For a second M'gann's heart soared. Robin!

She was wrong. The first figure dropped the second once they reached a safe altitude and the Robin imposter landed a bit shaky on the ground. The other dropped down next to him, looking them over with wide eyes.

"Who are you?" Batman scrutinized them, wary of these two.

"You!" One of them pointed, pulling down the cowl and revealing a head of dark hair and a look of awe on his face. "You're Batman!"

"I'll ask once more, who are you?"

Silence reigned for a moment and Wally looked between the two of them, trying to figure out the seemingly internal conversation they were having.

"I'm Red Robin, this is Superboy."

Connor tensed, looking at his counterpart. Kon did the same, a small smile on his face. It was strange seeing a carbon copy of themselves, but their attention was refocused on Batman and Red Robin.

"You have to save my brother!" Red Robin blurted, chest heaving and fists clenched at his side. "Robin, I mean."

Batman narrowed his eyes. "Start talking."

* * *

><p><strong>JuJu<strong>, this is going to be a very long message to you, just thought I'd let you know. You asked how Robin and everyone could know about the dimensional travel stuff. Well, the Justice League has experience this kind of thing before.

As for Shirtless!Robin, my only recollection of the episode is it has something to do with Bane. Google it?

Now we get to the big stuff. What does the Reboot do the DC Universe? It's supposed to put everything back to the beginning. DC is "rebooting" their universe to fix some problems in the continuity. Apparently, (and I don't know all of the details) superheroes have only been around for about five years. There are going to be 52 comic titles starting at issue number 1, and everyone gets a costume change. As for how big of a costume change depends on the hero. For instance, Batman's suit change isn't that big of a deal because he changes designs on his suit relatively frequently, but Superman is losing his red undies.

As for how it affects the Batman Universe, well, Batman is going to still be Batman. There's one title where it's just Batman, another where Batman and Damian are a team instead of Dick and Damian. Uh, that might be a bit confusing for you if you don't know about Batman RIP and the Battle for the Cowl. There's another title where it's Dick as Batman, Dick back as Nightwing, and Jason has his own with _Red Hood and the Outlaws_ featuring Starfire, Red Hood, and Red Arrow.

Unfortunately, DC isn't really "fixing" anything, but making things ten times more complicated. Damian shouldn't be in existence, Dick should be 8 again and Robin, but he's still like 20 and Nightwing. Barbara, who was shot and disabled now has use of her legs and is Batgirl again. All of the Robins are supposed to be "interns", and nothing makes sense anymore.

Good luck following all of this, because I'm pretty much just as confused as you are. We'll just have to see what DC brings us.

By the way, I want the blue back in Dick's Nightwing Costume and they'd better fix the no finger stripes soon. Red Robin's outfit is nice, and as always, Jason looks fabulous. What do you guys think about all of this? Enough rambling on this, I'm going to go write out that next chapter.


	37. He's Coming Back

You guys I am so very very sorry! I got double booked yesterday and I didn't get home until four today. I'm going to post two chapters tomorrow, if I don't get the second one done tonight! Again, really really sorry! That won't ever happen again! Also, sorry this is shorter. I wanted to get something out for you guys and apologize. Next chapter will be significantly longer.

* * *

><p>Tim was scared. Batman was every bit as frightening as Dick had described; he was nothing like the Bruce he knew. He knew Batman valued keeping his identity a secret, probably more than Dick. He glanced back at Kon, silently pleading for him to go and distract who he assumed was Young Justice. He'd love to meet them, but now was not the time. Kon didn't seem to understand the message.<p>

"Look, I know who you are—who you _really_ are." Tim wasn't sure which emotion Batman was displaying at the moment. He couldn't read him. "Can we talk more in depth later? Two days ago after a rescue mission Robin told us he'd meet us back at the cave. We haven't seen him since and there's dangerous guys out there looking for him."

"Who?"

"Uh, I only recognized a couple of them. There's Two Face, Riddler, Joker—"

Batman didn't bother to hear anymore. If the Joker was after Dick, it was about to get a lot more violent than he'd intended this to be. Turning back to Young Justice, he started to bark out orders.

"In case you hadn't figured out, we're in Gotham. This is my turf, my rules. You are to search for Robin and bring him back safely to me. If you run across a clown you are to contact me. You are to stick together and you are _not_, under any circumstances, to split up. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." Kaldur answered before Wally or Roy could.

"You fail to obey any of these orders and I will _end_ you. Go!"

Tim and Kon stared with wide eyes as the Caped Crusader. Somehow, without even seeing what he could do, they believed every word that came out of his mouth. There was a dark and horrible way to die somewhere hidden in the wrath of Batman, and they didn't want to even glimpse it.

Young Justice quickly departed, taking on the South Side of town. Batman narrowed his eyes at the two remaining teens. Kon felt his mouth go dry and he felt as if he had to say something, but couldn't find any words.

"You are to give me your names. Now."

"Tim Drake."

"Kon-El—err—Conner Kent."

"Superboy and Red Robin, sir." Tim added.

"You know me how? Through Robin?"

"Sir, in this world I'm your adopted son." Tim explained softly. "Dick hasn't contacted us at all. We've done a sweep of the city already and haven't caught sight of him. Thugs are running around like mad through the chaos."

"Young Justice will take care of those. Our main mission is to find Robin." Batman stalked forward down the street, the darkness only accenting the terror Batman instilled upon his marks. "We take to the North. Robin knows this city better than anyone. If he's on the run, he'll head for the North."

* * *

><p>Mary knocked on the door, alarmed when it swung open with a high pitched squeak. John narrowed his eyes, taking a step into the manor. The furniture had been tossed around, bullet holes dented the walls, and part of the staircase was broken.<p>

"Oh no," Mary breathed, trying to remain calm, "something's happened, John!"

"Bruce? Alfred?" John called, entering slowly further into the manor. "Stay close, Mary."

She stared mournfully at a tray of tea dented and left of the ground. Two teacups lay shattered on the once white carpet. Alfred would never willingly allow such a mess to remain.

"Martha! Thomas!" John called, hoping if anyone was remaining in the house they would hear a friendly voice.

Slowly, the entire manor was searched. There was no sign of any of the boys, their son, anyone. Whatever had happened had been violent. Mary began to panic; where was Dick? What happened and where was everyone? Who had attacked the Wayne Manor?

"Mary, there's only one more place we can check. Let's pray they're in there." John pulled his wife close in an embrace and held her for a moment, trying to calm her down. "C'mon, let's go check."

"John, what if—"

"No what if's, Mary. We promised Dick we wouldn't." John reminded, leading her by the hand out into the back yard and to the grave marked Robin.

Entering the code Dick had given them two months ago, they were all but jumped on by Bruce, Martha, and Thomas. Once seeing their faces, the Wayne's pulled them inside of the cave and relocked the entrance.

"Thank heavens you're safe!" Mary cried, launching herself into Martha. "We saw the house and—and we'd thought you were all…"

"We're fine, for the most part." Martha comforted, rubbing small circles into the woman's back. "The boys are roughed up."

"Where's Dick?" John asked, eyes sweeping over the occupants of the cave. "Where's my son?"

"He's been missing." Bruce closed his eyes and looked away. He didn't need to see the strong emotions that would undoubtedly play on the Grayson's faces. "Tim took Superboy and they've gone to find him."

John immediately turned and ran back to the entrance of the Batcave. What were they all doing sitting around? He'd find Dick himself! There were murderous people out there! Gotham was a wreck, buildings were blowing up and catching on fire, and the police were doing their best to try and take down the smaller criminals.

"Stop!" There were hands on his shoulders and around his waist, pulling him back and onto the ground.

"Mr. Grayson, stop!" Jason ordered, using a homemade crutch to limp over and step on his chest. "Dick's got enough on his plate to worry about. You aren't trained to go out there, and the last thing he needs is to find his father dead!"

"My son could already be dead!" John roared, still struggling against Alfred and Bruce's arms. The two were really quite strong. "I won't just sit around!"

"You have to!" Jason barked back. "He knows what he's doing and he's coming back! He doesn't have time to go save your ass just because you don't have faith he can survive!"

The words sunk in and John quit struggling. He was torn into two; either get out there and find his son, no matter what, or stay and hope he was coming back home. Option number one seemed so much better. What kind of a father sat idly by? Yet Jason brought up a very good point.

If Dick was fighting for his life, distractions could get him killed. Just like he'd instructed Dick in their act, back when his son was still alive and they were still a functioning family, getting distracted by the audience caused slip ups that wouldn't be so merciful.

"Please, stay here." Alfred pleaded. "We've already let two boys slip through our fingers."

John reluctantly nodded and Mary was now the one comforting him, holding his hand and pulling his head to her chest, running long slender fingers through his hair.

"He's coming back." Jason assured. "We just have to wait."


	38. Buried

Okay, here's the next installment. I'm so glad you guys were worried about me!

* * *

><p>Robin darted around another corner, struggling to catch his breath. Had he really seen Batman? He couldn't tell if the ache in his chest was from his two bruised ribs, running too hard, or the emotional pain of even thinking about seeing Batman right now. Batman was probably pissed.<p>

_If_ Batman was here, and not a hallucination from three nights of no sleep and dehydration, what was he going to say? Would he even say anything? Was he here to do the job himself? Dick had killed someone—he was getting what he deserved.

It hurts.

He couldn't stop the tears from gathering up as he wheezed for breath in the cold night air. He couldn't stop; he couldn't afford to stop. If he stopped he was dead. If he was dead, he couldn't make sure Bruce and his family survived all of this.

A thought struck him. If he gave up and turned himself in, wouldn't that make all of Gotham's crazies go away? They had only just started appearing, and it was very obvious it was because of the bounty on his head. He'd been the one to attract the attention.

So technically, he wasn't just responsible for bringing the villains here and putting Bruce and his family in harm's way, he was responsible for each and every single injury they had sustained. Bruce getting beat, Alfred getting hurt, Damian getting shot, all of it was his to own.

He made a mistake by coming here. He made a mistake by letting them take him in. He'd known this was going to happen, so why hadn't he listened to himself? He was stupid to have called for help. Batman was only going to hate him more. He'd destroyed this Bruce's life and Babs' too!

That what a murderer was, wasn't it? Someone who destroyed the lives of others. He wasn't any better than these monsters. Robin heard the footsteps behind him but didn't move. No, he was going to take them out even if he was going to die.

"Oh? What a pitiful sight you are." The voice purred, obviously belonging to a female.

"Catwoman."

"Robin, I presume." She answered back, smile adorning her face. "I've come to take you somewhere safe."

"You mean somewhere safe from the others," Robin snorted, seeing right through her, "yet not out of harm's way. You want the bounty just as much as the rest of them."

"You're not stupid, nor gullible," Selena took a few steps forward, curious when Dick stayed put, "simply mistaken."

"Sorry, not interested!" His black glove reached into a pocket of his utility belt and pulled out a smoke bomb. Dropping it, he waited until her attention were momentarily pulled to the bomb before pulling a couple of handsprings back and slipping in through an open window and disappearing from view.

"What a shame," Selena sighed, "I really was going to help. Children being hunted down like animals is absolutely revolting."

* * *

><p>"Robin!" Kaldur called, keeping an eye for any shadow that moved. Although Kaldur doubted they would <em>find<em> Robin. No, Robin would most likely come to them. He was too good at hiding in the shadows.

"Everybody down!" Roy shouted, letting loose an arrow that froze the windshield of a black van.

Out came several men in suits, machine guns in hand and sun glasses adorning their faces. Instantly Wally barreled into them, finding their presence more of a nuisance than a threat. But every criminal they took down in the city was one less criminal hunting down his best friend.

Superboy let out an enraged howl, unaffected by the bullets and smashing heads together. Roy held back his arrows, fixing on a different target. These helicopters were really grating on his nerves. Repeating his strategy from earlier, he aimed for the blades. The helicopter was felled just as the last of the gunmen were polished off.

"I still can't get a mental link on him. I think we're going the wrong way. We're close the southern border and he's still out of range." M'gann turned back to the North.

"Well played, Batman," Wally snarled quietly, "but I'm getting to Rob first."

"Batman ordered us to keep to the South." Kaldur reminded.

"Batman played us!" Wally snapped back. "He made us go South because he knows Robin is North! Weren't you listening to M'gann? He's out of range and we've covered the entire South side already!"

"Batman ordered us to bring him back," Connor said, clenching his fists, "so that's what we're going to do. If Robin is North, we go North."

"We're not on a trivial mission like usual," M'gann added, agreeing with the boys, "we're here to save our friend."

"If you're more worried about Batman's wrath than Robin's life, maybe you should stay here and take out these petty thugs." Roy hissed, stalking past him and towards M'gann.

"You're right." Kaldur felt stupid. He _was_ more worried about dying by Batman's hands than rescuing his companion and friend. This was not who he was. Since when had he been so trained to follow orders? Where was the rebelliousness that had formed Young Justice in the first place? "I was a fool. Allow me to come with you. I will not falter again!"

"That's it!" Wally smirked. "There's the Kaldur I know!"

* * *

><p>He was at the end of his rope; body refusing to move forward anymore. His knees had given out on him and he was desperately trying to force them to move again. There was someone behind him and Robin barely ducked out of the way in time. There was that laugh, that cackle; Dick knew his time had run out.<p>

_Move!_ His mind screamed at him, but his body failed to comply.

He reached for a weapon, _any_ weapon. Anything he could use to buy just a little more time. He was empty. There was nothing left to throw, his grappling hook was lost the day before, severely crippling his escape plans, and he was out of ideas.

"All out of toys?" Joker mocked, pulling a gun. "Too bad I'm not."

He fired a shot, hitting his target in the side. Robin held back the cry of pain. His Kevlar held, but his ribs did not. One of his ribs was now ripping into the sensitive flesh of his lung.

"You know, guns aren't my style. They're too quick, too painless." Joker took another step closer, his voice echoing in the alley. "I like to feel my victims suffer and die. I want to see the pain on their faces when they realize they're going to die. I like to see blood, lots of blood, paint a beautiful picture of death. Brains and intestines make lovely decorations."

Another cackle, more footsteps, and all Robin could do was try to breathe.

_I want Batman. _

_I want Batman. _

_It hurts. _

_I want Batman_.

He chanted over and over again in his head, trying not to listen to the Joker ramble on about crude ways to die.

He wanted to go home. He was tired and he wanted to see his mother and father again. He wanted to apologize to Bruce and the rest of them for everything he'd done. He wanted Batman to save him so Robin could at least die in his arms. He didn't want to feel the cold steel of the crow bar Joker was now handling.

"I had to use this gun. You're a little too quick." Joker eyed his victim. "Imagine that, a birdie who is far too good at flying away. Not to worry, I'm going to break your wings, break your legs, and then break your beak."

Mirthlessly, he thought of how many times someone had said this to him. It all seemed incredibly dull now; His life, his actions, and all of the bad guys who were just as annoyed by his clever little puns as he was their awful jokes about his name.

There was a whistle from above him and Dick forced himself to cover his ears. The pain of moving his arms was nothing like the noise threatening to blow his eardrums. There was heat, a curse from the Joker, and then Dick watched as the building to his right exploded and the debris rained down on him in large chunks.

_"Robin?"_

Who was that? Was that his own voice screaming at him to move? No, it was too high pitched.

A blow to the head made his world go dark.

Or was that just the sensation of being buried alive?

* * *

><p>Special thanks to <strong>Skylark Evanson<strong> for reviewing! If you haven't read her fics, they are incredible! I super highly recommend you go read some now while you wait for the next chapter!


	39. Urgent Rescue

Uhm, guys I highly recommend listening to a certain background music for this one. It's the one I listened to while writing most of this. I think it really sets the mood, so I hope you guys take my advice. Link is here. http:/ www. youtube. com/watch? v=dZZuFxb3R4c

* * *

><p>"Stop!" M'gann ordered, eyes closed and landing on the sidewalk.<p>

"What?"

"I thought I heard…" M'gann waited, listening for the voice to say something else. She linked all of them up and they stood in the middle of town on a sidewalk, completely silent and still.

"_I want Batman. It hurts. I want Batman."_

"_Robin?"_ M'gann asked, trying not to yell mentally. She could feel the others all about to say something, but the voice of their friend came back, a little weaker.

"_Why the bird jokes?"_

Wally couldn't help the relieved smile on his face. Robin must not have heard them or been aware M'gann had linked him up.

"_Robin?" _She asked a little louder.

There was no response and suddenly the link was cut. Wally's breath hitched and Superboy held back from punching the nearest thing, which happened to be a stop sign. M'gann frantically tried to reconnect, but failed every time.

"He must be close, he's within range." Roy said, trying to bring the team back out of despair. "We need to keep going North."

"Keep trying to reach him, M'gann." Wally grabbed her hand and squeezed. "If you get him, try to get a location. If you have to read his mind, do it!"

M'gann nodded and tried to reconnect again. Superboy pulled her up to sit on his shoulder as they moved. She would be able to concentrate a lot easier with her eyes closed.

"I can't connect with him, but I've got a location. He's behind Baker Street, in an alley."

Roy didn't bother to acknowledge M'gann's accomplishment, instead opting to start moving. She did well, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. Wally frowned at him, but didn't say anything, instead flashing a grateful smile at M'gann before also starting forward.

* * *

><p>It was dark. Was he asleep?<p>

It was hot. Was he on fire?

He couldn't breathe. Was he dead?

Snapping open his eyes, he struggled for breath. Blood came dribbling out of his mouth as he coughed and hacked, his body doing anything it could just to gain some oxygen. He couldn't see anything but the faint glow of fire above him. He could taste the smoke from what little air he managed to breathe in.

Memories of the Joker, getting shot, and the building collapsing on him from above flashed through his head and he let out a small groan. He heard a voice calling to him, calling his name, but he couldn't for the life of him remember who it was.

He tried to move, a very bad idea. Pain flared through him and he stopped breathing. He would have passed out if it hadn't been a technique Batman had told him to use if—

Batman.

He needed Batman. Batman would help.

One hand was trapped against his stomach and he was grateful it was there. He barely managed to reach the emergency button on his utility belt. A red light blinked, providing him some light. He would have been able to make out some of the shapes of the debris had it not been for the spots dancing in his eyes and forcing him back to sleep.

* * *

><p>Tim was terrified. One second they were running as fast as they could, trying to find Robin, the next Batman had leapt on a figure to Tim's right. A gunshot went off, missing him completely thanks to Batman, who smashed the gun against the assailant's face.<p>

Kon almost stepped in to help, but Batman had started to growl out something to the man. There was laughter, a crazy, psychotic laughter that Dick had described to Tim nearly three months ago. He never thought he'd actually hear it, or how accurate Dick's description really was. It sent shivers down his spine and caused him to take a step back.

"Who wants to know?"

"I do!" Batman snarled, ramming him into the brick of the building behind him. "Where is he, Joker?"

"Oho? Who is this who knows my name?" Joker grinned, eyes lighting up. "You aren't like the others, are you? You're different."

"Yes, I'm different." Batman retorted, batarang out and against the clown's neck, sharp edges biting into his neck and releasing precious blood. "Where is Robin?"

"You're going to kill me?" Joker sounded so skeptical and excited. It made Tim sick. "What a laugh! Who is this hero threatening my life? I just want to know your name. I'll tell you where the boy is buried. I'll even take you to him!"

Batman didn't respond verbally. No, instead he pressed the batarang harder into his neck and kneed him in the stomach, causing Joker to start to curl in, but due to the batarang, leaned back instead.

"The birdie is dead." Joker laughed, gurgling when Batman shoved his fist into the man's ribs, effectively breaking three of them. "A corpse under a pile of metal."

"Where?" Batman ground out, slamming Joker's head into the brick.

"Batman!" Tim called, nervous but alarmed.

Batman spared a glance at Tim, who was pointing to a blinking red light on Batman's utility belt.

"Batman, huh?" Joker laughed, eying Batman before focusing on Tim and Kon. "So there are more of you… How many do I have to kill? I've already clipped two birdies' wings."

Batman slammed his fist into Joker's face before letting him drop to the ground. Kon was nervous; was Batman going to kill him? Tim seemed to think so because he grabbed a hold of the Dark Knight's cape.

"Robin spoke highly of you." Tim asserted, tugging on the cape. "Don't throw that away."

Batman snorted but didn't reply. He gave one last kick to Joker's side, cracking another rib before leaving. Kon jerked his head towards the retreating Batman, signaling for Tim to forget about the bad guy for once and focus on following Batman.

"What is that?" Tim asked, hoping Batman would say something.

"Emergency signal." Batman answered, suddenly turning a corner. "He's alive."

Tim let out a relieved sigh. Batman wasn't showing any emotion, but he liked to believe Bruce was in there somewhere, breathing a sigh of relief as well. This Bruce was nothing like his adoptive father. This Bruce was cruel, silent, and cold. There was no warm laugher, caring smiles, or kind words. Batman was all orders and facts.

How did Dick live with him?

After rounding two more corners they were devastated by the sight that greeted them. There was a demolished building, an ally filled with the remnants of the building, and fire spreading along the debris, nothing but twisted metal underneath.

"Robin!" Tim called fearfully, lurching forward. Kon caught him and pulled him back.

"Let me, okay?" Kon darted forward, wincing at the heat, but paying no mind the burns on his hands healing and rehealing as he shoved debris aside. Batman helped, his gloves heat resistant, allowing him to pull away the smaller metal while Kon tackled the bigger ones.

Tim felt useless. Robin hadn't had time to equip their outfits with heavy Kevlar or heat resistant capes and gloves. He was stuck on the sidelines until all of the metal on fire was discarded.

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><p>Wally wanted to cry. They were greeted with a mess of warped metal and fire, fire everywhere in the dark of the night. It was eerie and felt like the scene had come out of a hellish nightmare. Roy shot two ice arrows, trying his best to cool down the fire; Kaldur was doing the same with his water.<p>

"Kid Flash, Superboy, we need more water!" M'gann ordered despite being absolutely terrified. Robin was underneath this, she could feel it. Robin was trapped underneath fire.

The mere thought of it made her eyes well up with tears. He must be so scared. She would have died of fright. She couldn't even approach this, how was she going to help? She would try to contact him again. If she could talk to him, let him know that they were there and going to get him out of there. She could comfort him and talk him through this.

The link never formed.

What if he was dead?

She shook her head. She couldn't think that way, not when they were so close to getting him back. How she missed him; his childish laugh, his understanding of everyone's situations, his great advice, everything. He'd always been there and now it was her turn to be there for him!

Wally and Superboy had come back with water, using their super speed to create a miniature hurricane to transport the precious liquid. Once they released the water on the fire, most of it went out.

"C'mon, you can move things with your mind, right?" Wally clapped a hand on her shoulder for a moment before speeding away to hurriedly move the now cooled down debris.

Wally was right. M'gann could help now. She didn't have to be near the fire; she could stay away and move things. She could help!

It took them a good ten minutes to clear half of the debris and they were surprised to see Batman and the two kids from earlier removing debris from the other side of the monstrous pile. Batman caught sight of them, but never said a word, continuously shoving piles of metal out into the street and further away from Dick who was still lying there somewhere underneath it all.

Hope was dwindling. M'gann couldn't get a connection, there was so much debris and there was no way someone could survive all of this on top of them. But Young Justice, Batman, Tim, and Kon pushed forward. They would not surrender Robin to death.

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><p>Phew, guys this chapter was a tough one. I hope I captured the urgency in this chapter. If you weren't feeling it, uh, sorry?<p> 


	40. Safe Darkness

Crappy but true excuse for shortness of chapter: Went to the dentist and feel like crap. Take it or leave it.

Do yourself a favor and listen to really sad music, will you? It'll help. Enjoy!

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><p>He awoke to the feelings of flames licking at his lungs. His chest was screaming at him and he still could not get enough air, but there was no fire. The glow of the fire from above was gone and he could hear things moving around.<p>

Joker was probably coming to dig out his body so he could collect the bounty; or maybe it was whoever had shot the missile. It was probably Penguin. He had more goons and Dick would hear the cackling from the Joker. Instead there was only a lot of shuffling.

"_Robin?"_

Dick's eyes widened and he attempted a gasp, only to start coughing up blood. Was he hearing voices now? He was dying; of course he was going crazy at the end.

"_Robin?" _The voice called again, a little more desperate. It was a female, perhaps Babs?

"_Babs?"_ He asked, unsure and willing to take the risk of talking to himself. If he was almost dead, why not?

"_Robin!" _She cried, the quiver of someone talking through tears was evident, even in mind speak.

No. This was not Babs, it was M'gann! His heart clenched, (or was that his lungs?) and he thought back to his hallucination of Batman earlier. Was it real?

"_Robin, are you still with me?"_

"_M'gann?"_

"_Yes! Yes, it's me! Oh, you're alive!" _She paused for a moment before speaking again. _"Are you alright? How badly are you wounded?"_

"_Batman?" _He was hesitant to ask, but he needed to know.

She was hesitant as well, it seemed. _"He's here, Robin. You sound weak. Please, tell me how injured you are."_

"_Sorry."_ Dick replied. It was the only thing he could really think at the moment. Everything else was pain, pain, and it hurts. He wasn't sure if M'gann could hear his pain, but he would bet money she could.

"_Robin? Robin are you still with me?"_

"_Yeah." _Even his thoughts were weak.

"_We're going to get you out of there, okay buddy?" _Wally's voice surprised him and he felt his lower lip quivering. It had been so long since he'd heard either of their voices.

"_Is there anything on top of you? Can you see any light?" _That was Roy. Roy was here too? Was it this Roy or was it Arsenal?

He must have taken too long to answer because he was called to again by M'gann.

"_No."_

"_No, what?"_

"_No light."_

"_His thought process is slow. He's three questions behind; there's definitely severe blood loss." _Did Roy know he could hear him?

"_I don't know if he knows this, but I can feel he's in pain." _M'gann responded to Roy before addressing her thoughts back to him. _"Robin, are you sure you can't see anything? Which end of the alley were you on?"_

"_Batman?" _Robin asked. Had he already asked that question?

"_He's here. Do you want to talk to him?"_

"_Real?"_

"_Rob, we're real. We're here, okay?" _Wally's voice was soothing. Sounded nice, unlike his own breath, struggling against a failing lung and the blood. _"Just hold on. We're going to get you out of here and back home."_

"_Need Batman."_

There was a moment of silence. Had Dick passed out again? He couldn't remember. It hurt and he couldn't remember anything. His head hurt and he couldn't breathe.

"_Robin?"_

He couldn't breathe. It was Batman. Batman was in his head and he didn't know what to say.

"_Robin, I'm here."_

He didn't sound angry. Was Bruce angry with him? Why would he be mad? He couldn't remember.

"_Bat…man?"_

"_I'm here. Stay with us, alright? You just stay awake as long as you can."_

"_Sorry." _Why was he sorry again? Oh that's right. He killed someone. That's why Batman was mad. Dick needed to apologize so Batman would forgive him. If he was a bad boy Bruce would kick him out of the manor. He needed to be a good boy. He needed to say he was sorry.

"_Don't apologize; you just stay alive and awake."_

There was a loud noise close to him. It hurt his ears and he couldn't breathe. Where was he? Why was it so dark? Oh, now there's light; blue light and red light and green too. There was darkness. It was reaching towards him and he couldn't move. He wanted to run away. The dark was scary and he wanted to be in the light. Why wouldn't the dark let go?

"Robin, stay with us!"

There was a real voice. It wasn't in his head and it was loud, so very loud. He wanted it to stop. He was being lifted up by the dark and he couldn't breathe anymore; his body refused to even try. He was being lifted into the sky.

It was nice.

The sky was comfortable and warm, he reached out to touch the clouds and found the clouds to be made of something hard. They smelled like Kevlar and they suddenly turned into storm clouds.

Why was the black following him into the sky? He didn't want the black; but it was closing in all around him. Dick was afraid, but the black was gentle, blanketing him in a safety net and taking care of him.

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><p><strong>Skylark<strong>, I'm not sure if you got my PM I sent you. You didn't reply so I figured if you didn't know, you do now. Thanks again for your amazing review and I'm truly looking forward to your oneshot. You have full permission.

If anyone else is inspired by this and wants to write their own sequel, one-shot, or whatever, I strongly encourage it! You all have permission.

Oh, and **sunnydaysz56, **what does Bitte mean?


	41. Collison of Worlds

Ah! We're getting close to the end here guys! I'm hoping to make it to 50 chapters. Actually, it'd be cool if I ended at 50. Dunno if that'll happen. Lots of emotional stuff coming up, just thought I'd warn you. May or may not post another chapter today. Depends on if I've got the drive and inspiration to double up today and still have a chapter prepared for tomorrow.

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><p>From the moment Batman pulled Robin's limp figure from the rubble to the time they reached the Batcave, no one was really sure what had happened in between. There may or may not have been a few thugs or a woman with red hair in a green leotard.<p>

Truthfully, Wally would have been more impressed with the Batcave if he didn't have tunnel vision for Robin and how torturous it was for the kid to take in air. There was a very large commotion, but no one could keep up until after Robin was placed on a makeshift gurney and taken into another room. Batman and Alfred went in with Robin, but no one else was allowed in.

There was a moment of silence, and then a smaller commotion arose. Tim was practically tackled by Bruce into a hug, M'gann collapsed onto her hands and knees, completely exhausted, and the room slowly segregated into two halves.

Young Justice found themselves staring at the Wayne Family, wondering who these people were and why they were in Batman's Batcave. Well, there was one among the Waynes who didn't quite fit the bill. Roy found all of his attention on his older counterpart with scrutinizing eyes. Who the hell convinced him a beard would be alright?

"Drake," Damian hissed, grabbing his brother by the back of his costume, "what are all these _people_ doing in the secret _Batcave?_"

"These guys are Young Justice." Tim answered, pulling away from the little brat. "Kon and I found them."

"Who are _you_?" Kaldur eyed them carefully. He had never heard of any others allying themselves with Batman. On another note, there seemed to be a lack of Batman from this dimension.

"My name is Bruce Wayne," Bruce stepped forward, "My mansion is above us, but due to the circumstances, we've been hiding out here for a while."

"So the Batcave is under Wayne Mansion, huh?" Wally thought about it for a moment. "Okay, you're not telling me Batman is actually—"

"Me? You are correct."

Tim, Damian, and Jason stiffened. What was Bruce doing? They were supposed to keep their identities a secret! Bruce didn't look back at his sons, instead focusing on Young Justice.

"Whoa, seriously? Then Robin is—"

"Our brother." Jason growled.

"This was… unexpected." Connor turned to look at the "forbidden" room which contained his teammate.

"No kidding." Kon cracked a smile, only to let it fall when his fellow clone didn't give one back.

Wally hadn't noticed before, but there was a man and a woman huddled close to each other back behind the Waynes. The woman was crying, clutching onto the man's shirt as he rubbed her back, whispering things to her. Something about this scene made Wally's heart ache. Who were they and why did he feel like crying himself?

He was relieved Robin was alive, but at the same time, his best friend was in critical condition. Who were these two people crying? Dick Grayson was adopted by Bruce Wayne, so they couldn't be…

The woman looked up, looking at him with blue eyes. Her dark hair was beautiful and there was a familiarity about her. The man was strong and big; nothing like Robin who was tiny, slim, and agile. The concerned frown on his face was what convinced Wally. He'd seen that look a dozen times when Robin was thinking hard about something.

These were his parents.

"Well, go on." Damian demanded, nodding to them. "Introduce yourselves."

"Oh, uh, Kid Flash."

"I'm Miss Martian, but my real name is M'gann." M'gann didn't bother getting up, her legs felt like jelly. This was a bit too much, meeting these people, discovering secret identities, and finally seeing Robin again. "You can call me Megan."

"I am Aqualad," Kaldur turned to Connor who was still focused on the room Robin was taken to, "this is Superboy."

"Red Arrow." Roy said pointedly. If anyone, Robin would have been the one to tease him by introducing himself as Speedy. "Now you."

Damian harrumphed, crossing his arms and scowling. There was no way he was going to give vital information to this bunch of misfits.

"Arsenal." The other Roy nodded back at Red Arrow, pleased with the way he was mowing over the name in his mind. The slight quirk of the lips meant he liked it.

"I'm also Superboy." Kon rubbed the back of his head. "Awkward…"

"Red Hood."

"Red Robin." Tim glared at Jason, still upset by how similar their names sounded.

"Nightwing." Damian begrudgingly revealed.

This was the first time Bruce had heard his sons introduce themselves as superheroes. He didn't quite know what to think about it.

"I would love to introduce myself as… Batman… but I'm afraid I am just Bruce Wayne." Bruce nodded towards the door. "Alfred is in there with the Batman you know. These are my parents, Thomas and Martha."

Martha waved, offering a small smile. Thomas didn't acknowledge them, also concerned about the happenings within the room he was not allowed to enter. Mary and Thomas did not introduce themselves, but no one complained as Alfred opened the door and quietly slipped out. He was surprised to see so many people, but revealed his message nonetheless.

"Young master Robin has been stabilized. His condition is still unfavorable."

"Can we see him Alfred?" Bruce asked.

"Master Bruce," Alfred deflected, "I believe it is still unsafe to move to the Manor. However, I strongly urge the move. Young Master Robin needs a more comfortable environment for rest."

"What do you mean unsafe?" Wally asked. If Robin needed a better place to heal, he'd do anything to make it happen.

"Two days ago we were attacked in our own home by the Joker." Thomas informed.

"We'll keep you safe." Kaldur assured. "With all of us here there will be a security you have never known."

"Very well," Alfred nodded, "I shall ask you to set up that security now."

"C'mon." Wally pulled up M'gann and pulled on Roy's arm. "Rob needs a safe environment. You heard him, so let's get it done."

Arsenal also stood, nodding to Kon and Tim. Despite his shoulder pulled back in place two days ago, he was still in a bit of pain. He'd manage, though. He was more interested in talking to his younger self. There were some issues they needed to work out. Tim and Kon followed suit, Tim lagging behind a bit to look back to his brothers and Alfred, who gave him a pointed look.

Once most of the teens were out of the room, Mary and Thomas approached Alfred.

"How is he?" Mary asked. "I want to see my son."

"He's stable, but has yet to show any signs of consciousness. There was a head wound, resulting in head trauma; how bad will be apparent as the rest of his body heals. He had two broken ribs, one of which impaled his lung. It was collapsing before I managed to fix the problem. Luckily, the damage was not severe and he will not need surgery."

"Thank heavens." Mary breathed.

"He's going to be alright then?" John swallowed, trying to restart his heart. He'd already lost his son once. There was no way he was going to lose him a second time. "We can go see him?"

"Yes." Alfred stepped aside and allowed them to enter the room. "Master Bruce, Master Thomas, and Lady Martha, I must ask you to be patient."

"No, we understand Alfred. Thank you." Bruce heaved a sigh of relief, looking back to his remaining sons.

Damian was struggling to hide his emotions. Truly, if Grayson had died he wasn't sure what he would have done. Jason shook his head with a small knowing smirk.

Dick was going to be alright. Everyone was alive and everything was going to be fine.

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><p><strong>JuJu,<strong> uhm, just tell me? I can't exactly change my story to fit what you want. Especially so close to the end, but I'd like to know what you would have liked. Also, how do you think it's going to end?

**Skylark, **I feel incredibly silly thinking you just hadn't noticed the PM. Take your time getting back to me. No rush here.

**Scotty1609**, Sorry bro for all the cliffies. It's just the spot where I end for the day. I just realized I do cliffies for like every chapter. That must be annoying. Super sorry.

**TheGrayson**, you little sweetheart! Thank you so much for your kind review! I hope you don't suffocate from waiting so long.

**KKCopper, **you thought that last chapter was the most epic? Really? My favorite chapters are in the beginning. I also loved my Robin vs. Zucco chapter. But if you think it's really great, hey, I'll take that any day!

I wish I could write a little faster for you all. I live on the West Coast in the State That Always Rains, so all of you East Coasters, Mid Westerners, and Desert Goers, as well as all you out of country folks get my chapters probably super late in the afternoon or at night. Sorry for that!

So, I've been needing to make some internet friends. Anyone wanna chat with me or something? Send me a PM.


	42. The Talk

I hope this is as emotional as I planned it to be. I'm running a little low on emotional motivation right now.

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><p>Mary and Thomas hesitantly approached their son and the man who'd been raising him in their absence. He was physically large before, but not as he sat slumped in a chair, hand clutching at Dick's limp one. So this was Batman, the man who'd taught Dick everything about fighting crime.<p>

Upon their approach, Batman stood up to make room for them. Mary smiled gratefully at him and took his place. John however, pulled back his fist and slammed it into the masked vigilante's jaw. Batman fell, taken aback by the sudden attack.

He wasn't sure how much John knew, but he could have done a number of things to warrant this punishment.

"John!" Mary cried, shocked and outraged by such an action.

"That was for endangering _my son_; for putting him out there where those monsters lie in wait to cut him up or do who knows what to him." John snarled.

So he knew. Batman didn't even put a hand to his wounded jaw. He awaited more harsh words from Dick's father, ready to take it. What he wasn't expecting was a helping hand extended out to him.

"This is for taking in my son; for giving him a home and caring for him in our absence."

Mary choked on a sob. She looked back at the unconscious boy and remembered how he interacted with the Wayne boys, how he flew and flipped in the air the night he showed them he hadn't forgotten everything they taught him, but instead improved upon it and used it to do right in the world.

Batman took the hand, removing his cowl once he got to his feet. He struggled with what to say, but John gave him a nod before taking to Dick's other side and stroking his hair, removing the ever present mask.

Mary turned to him, blue eyes bearing into him. "Would you sit with us?"

Should he? It was strange, seeing Dick's parents alive and caring for their son. Where was the Dick of this dimension then?

"Yes." Batman pulled up another chair and seated himself at Dick's feet.

"Mr. Wayne," John's voice was stern and Batman knew there was an issue going to be brought up, "Dick told us everything from the time of our deaths to taking up your Crusade and landing here. He kept nothing from us."

Batman knew what that meant. The guilt that had been in his heart from the very moment Robin had fled from the scene, hurt and confused tripled. These two were his _parents_, the very people who shielded their child from the harsh realities of the world and kept him safe. How was he supposed to answer to them?

"I don't believe he told anyone else what he told us." John continued. "I'm sure no one else held my son as he cried and apologized for something out of his hands. He believed your words, Mr. Wayne, _every single one_."

"He's been having nightmares." Mary said quietly. "We've tried to console him, but there's only one person who can make this right and relieve him of this heavy burden."

There was a heavy silence. Bruce took in a deep breath and spoke.

"There hasn't been a day where I've not regretted those words, Mrs. Grayson. As soon as he wakes, I'm going to make sure he understands that I made the biggest mistake in my life." Bruce stood, pulling his cowl back up.

"Mr. Wayne," Mary called as he turned to leave, "thank you for everything. Please, make sure he's happy."

Batman nodded, leaving the Graysons in silence.

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><p>Once the Manor was deemed safe and guarded, Dick was moved into his bedroom. Everyone had sort of split up within the large realm of the manor. Arsenal and Roy had taken up the job of going to the Watch Tower. Once it was revealed Robin had snuck in to send the message, they would need to get the coordinates.<p>

M'gann found herself shyly seeking Alfred's companionship in the kitchen. Currently the butler was fixing something for everyone to eat. After all, it had been a very hard night for everyone.

"Yes, miss?" Alfred asked, not even pausing from gathering the necessary ingredients and utensils.

"Oh, uh, I was just wondering if you needed any help."

"I need no help, young miss," Alfred replied, preheating the oven, "but if you so insist, there's an extra apron on the further most side of the pantry."

"I wasn't insisting—"

"Then perhaps you simply wish to keep an old man company, hm?" Alfred gave her a kind smile and M'gann realized her mistake.

"Of course! Though I hardly find you old at all!" M'gann giggled and grabbed the extra apron. "To be honest, I'm no good. Robin always told me he knew someone who could cook the best dishes, but because of Batman's restrictions on identity, he couldn't reveal who it was."

"I see." Alfred handed her an egg. "Well, I believe we have met now. I am no egoist, but I indeed can cook. My name is Alfred Pennyworth and I serve here at Wayne Manor."

"I'm M'gann M'orzz! Oh, but I go by Miss Martian when I'm in costume. Oh—but my name is Martian, so my Earth name is Megan. If that's any easier for you."

"You wouldn't happen to be Miss M, would you?" Alfred smiled. "I believe Master Robin has mentioned you many times during our stay here."

"Really?" M'gann beamed. "Has he been treated well? We've all missed him so much and it was hard because we didn't know anything. He really mentioned me?"

"All of you." Alfred assured. "He has been treated very well here. In fact, I think he's felt at home once or twice."

M'gann couldn't help it. She reached out, clutching onto Alfred's apron and pulling him close. Alfred awkwardly rubbed her back, not used to such close contact. Even the boys never hugged him. Once upon a time, Damian even refused to eat his food.

"My dear, what could be the matter?"

"I was just so scared!" M'gann sobbed. "I thought he was dead!"

"Come now," Alfred soothed, "he is going to be alright. I myself patched him up. He's a tough lad and when he wakes up he's going to be in need of some food. He's been on the run for three days and I doubt he's had anything to eat."

"You're right." M'gann wiped her tears, struggling to reign in her emotions. She hadn't meant to completely unravel in front of Alfred, but she was so relieved and touched.

"I have come to find master Robin has a great love for scones." Alfred turned back to the ingredients. "They are a simple dish and under my instruction, you will make the best scones he's ever had."

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><p>Oh my gosh, you guys! I seriously love all of you! <strong>Skylark<strong> wrote this amazing one shot _c_alled_ Another Dimension _and **blueshirtmedic** just offered to draw a pic for this. Seriously you guys spoil me! I love all of you reviewers and readers and just EVERYONE!


	43. Of Mothers and Fathers

So sorry this is a bit late, you guys. I've been having some real problems getting through these last few scenes. I estimate about... six more chapters. Maybe an epilogue to make the fifty chapter mark.

Seriously you guys are awesome. I've past the 70,000 word mark AND reached a staggering 377 reviews. That's AMAZING! I thought i'd be lucky to get even one! Your love and support has really kept me going and I hope to please you all with a satisfying ending and another fic soon! Probably going to be a while on the new fic, though; school and all.

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><p>Wally was stationed with Kaldur on the top floor. The problem with this was Wally <em>knew<em> Robin was resting just three doors down to the left. He _knew_ it would take him approximately .0482 seconds to peek in on his best friend. Dick was with his parents now and Wally really didn't want to disrupt them, but he couldn't stand still and it was driving Kaldur up the wall.

"Calm down, Kid Flash." Kaldur all but snapped as he paced down the halls. "We must be alert and focused in case of an attack."

"Dude, Rob's right there!" Wally gestured to his room. "You know, the same kid we've been trying to find for the _last year_! Don't you want to see him?"

"I do," Kaldur admitted, "but we need to stay focused on this task first. We're making sure nothing else happens to Robin."

Wally pouted and went back to pacing. He was surprised when he ran into someone, and hastily apologized. He found himself looking into the blue eyes of Mary.

"Would you mind if I talked to you boys?" She asked, shyly fidgeting with her slender hands.

"Of course." Kaldur answered, slightly worried Wally was going to hit on this beautiful woman.

"Thanks," Mary smiled, "John is watching over Dick and I just… I wanted to know a few things."

"Uh, can I ask one first?"

Here it comes. Wally was going to pull out some sort of pick up line and then she was going to get offended. Kaldur could only brace himself for it.

"You're Rob's mom, right?"

"Yes." Mary reached out and grabbed his hand. "You must be Wally."

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Dick talks about you all. He's been telling John and I all about his adventures with you."

Kaldur allowed himself to relax; Wally wasn't going to pull any moves, and it was nice to hear Dick talked about them in his absence. Mary's soft smile faded and she avoided looking at them, instead finding the floor of the manor a bit more interesting.

"I haven't really seen him happy unless he's talking about you." Mary squeezed Wally's hand, and he lightly squeezed back. "Will you tell me about him?"

"About Rob? But he's your son. We didn't even know his name until tonight."

"Please," Mary pleaded, her voice quivering, "please tell me."

"Sure." Kaldur nodded. "Would you like to sit down?"

"Yes." Mary took in a quivering breath and Wally knew she was about to cry. "Yes, let's find a place to sit down."

They sat in one of the upstairs sitting rooms, Mary sitting across from Kaldur and Wally, who looked at each other and tried to figure out where to start.

"Rob is… he's my best friend." Wally thought for a moment. "He's always disappearing, he can hack into anything, and he's constantly laughing."

"That sounds like him." Mary laughed, wiping at a few tears escaping from her tear ducts. "Even as a little kid he was always running off."

"Robin is fearless, plunging into situations sometimes without thinking it through." Kaldur took a moment to recollect his thoughts. "There was the first time I met him…"

Mary sat and listened to story after story of her son, feeling the anxiety of having her son ripped from her once more dissipate. He had good friends and he was happy with them. Even if there were still some issues to work out with Bruce Wayne, she trusted Dick's friends to get him through any problem he had. She only hoped he knew that.

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><p>Conner somehow found managed to get stuck with these Kon and Tim on outside perimeter duty. Tim was lost in thought, sitting on the roof and Kon was sort of just walking around the outside of the manor. Conner, however, was staring at a grave.<p>

The grave was a cover for the Batcave, he knew, but wouldn't it just be unmarked? Why would it blatantly state Robin's name and have the word "hero" in the small description. Wasn't that like putting a big sign saying "Batcave is here!" over the entrance?

"Hey Tim!" Kon called, suddenly behind Conner. "What's up with this grave?"

Tim jumped off of the roof and approached the two Superboys. "That?"

"Yeah. I don't understand why it has Robin's name on it." Conner frowned, unhappy that these people would even insinuate his friend was dead.

"Well, that's because he was dead." Tim answered seriously.

"Okay, what? He's upstairs sleeping and very much alive." Kon folded his arms across his chest. "You make no sense."

"Thirty years ago Robin showed up and saved Dad, Grandpa, and Grandma." Tim explained. "In the process, he was shot in the leg and bled out. Dad buried him here in the backyard because no one knew who he really was at that time. Then just last year he showed up out of nowhere. Dad dug up his grave, but he wasn't in the casket."

"How is that possible?" Conner frowned and furrowed his brows in thought. "Robin has only been gone for one year."

"Robin doesn't know either." Tim sighed.

"So, what? That's it?" Kon shook his head. "You don't want to figure out the mystery?"

"Why? Dick's alive, right? What does it matter?"

"It might have had something to do with the device." Conner turned to Kon and Tim. "He was thrown across dimensions through a device. It must have skipped him across time."

"But how does that explain coming back to life?" Kon was skeptical. There wasn't just a magic side effect to a machine. Coming back to life was a bit more complicated.

"Dick always said he needed to get back before this universe collapsed. Something about imbalance throwing everything off. Well what if the machine already calculated this would happen?"

"You're saying it killed off the Robin of this dimension and brought back Robin in his place." Conner clenched his fists. He was angry; angry that this stupid device had caused everyone so much pain.

"Well, Dick Grayson from this world is dead. He would have been twenty. That's why Mr. and Mrs. Grayson are here. They never got see their son grow up."

Tim felt angry too. He'd seen how much they were grieving every time they saw Dick. Kon shook his head; he was getting to like Dick, even though he'd only met him twice. He was sure the Dick of this dimension would have been fun.

There was a rustle in a tree nearby and instantly the three were on alert. A figure dropped down, landing gracefully on the grass.

"Red Robin?" The figure asked hesitantly.

"Babs, it's cool." Tim relaxed, urging silently for the two clones of Superman to do the same.

"Who is this?" Babs nodded to Conner, who narrowed his eyes.

She didn't look very trustworthy. Kon snapped his fingers and grinned.

"Oh yeah! You're Batgirl! You kind of ran off after we rescued Mr. Wayne, so I'd sort of forgotten about you."

"Babs, this is Kon and… Superboy. It's sort of hard to explain, but Young Justice and Batman showed up last night."

"And Robin?"

"He's resting. We got him home."

Barbara sagged in relief. "Mr. Wayne?"

"Safe. He's down in the cave with Batman."

"Whoa, wait. When you say Batman you mean…?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah, he's scarier than Dick described."

"You're kidding." Barbara shook her head in awe. "I can't believe it. So wait, Superboy from Young Justice? Then you're Robin's teammate."

"Yeah." Conner cocked his head. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Batgirl. Robin… trained us." Barbara said awkwardly, looking to Tim for help. He shrugged in response. He had no idea how to interact with him either.

"C'mon, I'll take you see the rest of them. Superboy—er, Superboys, you just… stay." Tim grabbed Barbara's arm and made his escape.

Kon reached out and made a noise a protest, but Tim was gone before he could really say anything. Turning back to Conner, he noticed his gaze was back on the tombstone.

"Dude, you need to chill out. I can tell just from looking at you you're tense all the time."

Conner completely ignored his comment, instead replying with a question. "Is he… Does he teach you things?"

"Does who teach me things?"

"Superman."

"You mean Clark?" Kon thought about it for a moment. "In the beginning he didn't really want anything to do with me. I mean, it doesn't help to learn you've been cloned without permission, but he warmed up to me eventually."

There was a silence, and Kon realized something.

"Oh, you're still on the avoidance list?" Kon lightly punched Conner's shoulder and flashed him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. He'll wake up and smell the roses soon. It just takes some time. You're going to love Ma and Pa though."

"Ma and Pa?" Conner raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, those are Clark's parents. Ma cooks the best dinners you'd ever imagine and Pa gives great advice."

"Do you… live with them?"

"Sure do. I help out on the farm when I can, but you know, being a superhero is a little hard on the free time." Kon fished out his cell phone. "Do you want to meet them?"

Conner hesitated, but Kon had already dialed the number and waited for Ma to pick up the phone.

"Hey, Ma? It's Kon. Listen, I've got someone here who'd really like to meet you. Will you give him the same rundown you and Pa gave me when I first moved in? He could really use it."

Kon shoved the phone into Conner's hands and the Young Justice member couldn't help but to shyly pull the cellphone up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Are you the boy who needs to hear the rundown?"_

"I guess."

"_You sound awfully familiar. What's your name?"_

"Conner Kent."

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><p>I've had many people asking where Artemis is. It'll be answered by the end. (Hopefully) I hope you all accept my explanation of Dick's revival. If it doesn't fly for you, I'm sorry. Try sending me your own explanation or writing your own version.<p>

**esvala**, you made me smile so hardcore yesterday. Your lengthy review was much appreciated and I'm so happy people notice all of these little details. To be honest, I never plan them out. They just sort of jump on in there at the moment I'm writing. I had so many plans for this story that went awry because the characters just took over and decided they wanted it to go THIS way. I'm also glad you like the pacing. Usually I end up rushing things as well, so it's nice to hear I'm going at a fine pace.

You all are so sweet and it sort of makes me sad to end this. At the same time, it'll be my first story that I've _actually_ finished. It's exciting and sad all at the same time! Also thanks to those who PM'd their reviews.


	44. Become Batman

I'm sorry guys. I've been running out of stamina and I really wanted to make sure this scene was as powerful as it needed to be. It would be longer, but I feel it needs to stand alone. Next chapter should be longer. (Pfft, as if you haven't been saying that for the past four or five chapters.)

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><p>Bruce was intimidated; Batman was large, scary, and very threatening. The man had clearly developed muscles Bruce never needed—nor wanted—to develop. That did not stop Bruce, however, from calling him out.<p>

"What made you think training a child to become a superhero was a good idea?" Bruce fumed, pacing back and forth to avoid looking at Batman. "Dick was hurt tonight, more than he's been hurt before while staying here. I want to know the exact thoughts that ran through your head when you allowed him, just a boy, to go out and fight psychopaths. Tell me, _Batman,_ why you're endangering your _son_!"

Batman didn't say anything for a moment, and Bruce was about to open his mouth again when a deep, yet soft voice answered him.

"You wouldn't understand." Batman took off his cowl. Bruce would be facing himself tonight, not the Batman. "Mom and Dad are alive. You haven't experienced what it's like to have everything ripped away from you in a single night."

"I've had my share of loss." Bruce bit back. "Instead and Mom and Dad it was him. It was Dick who died that night. I buried him, wondering why on earth a kid would sacrifice his life for mine. What purpose was there that I lived that night?"

"I asked myself the same question as I buried our parents. There was no little boy who saved me from darkness then."

"Well there is now." Bruce stopped pacing and took a good look at his counterpart, at the haunted eyes. "That boy is special, precious in every sense. He doesn't deserve to have his life cut short because you deem him worthy as cannon fodder."

"Don't you dare insinuate I care nothing for him!" Batman snarled. "He's my _partner_, equal in every way but age and experience. I do not let him put himself if danger recklessly."

"Yeah? Well it sure seems that way. He's even trained _my_ children to do what you trained Dick to do—go out and stop the bad guys. They are still _children_, Bruce!" It felt strange to shout his own name, but he was going to set this man straight. "He needs to be in school, hanging out with friends, learning how to solve problems without violence."

"You obviously haven't really _seen_ Dick. He goes to school everyday. If he does not maintain a suitable GPA he does not go out on patrol. He misbehaves and he's off of patrol for a month. Being Robin is a privilege and one he does not take lightly. He understands the risks, knows exactly what he's getting into. He does not lash out, and he is one of the smartest mediators I've known. Violence is for those who would aim to kill him, and he knows that."

Batman took a moment to glare at Bruce. Who was he to judge? He knew nothing.

"Dick has friends; they are far more trusting and loyal than any friends you could have dreamed up for him. They followed him _into another dimension_ to bring him back home. They have never known his real name, yet trust him with their lives. They work beside him and keep him safe where I cannot. They understand his hardships and cherish his insight."

Bruce grit his teeth. "Why even allow him to go out?"

"Because I saw a little boy who lost his parents, just like I did. I saw a boy hungry for justice that would never come unless he brought it into his own hands. I saw a boy who I could protect and teach; help him to grow into the man he wanted to be. He was the one who convinced _me_ to allow him to learn."

Batman had a good point. Bruce remembered when Dick was stubborn, determined to go out on patrol whether he had Bruce's support or not. Batman had won this argument, but he wasn't going to win the next. There was still another very big issue.

"What am I supposed to do about my own sons?" Bruce rubbed his forehead and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Unlike you, I can't let them go get themselves killed."

"Then you must become Batman."

"You can't be serious."

"Your sons have been taught by the best. They are going to go behind your back anyways."

"Yes, I'm sure." Bruce sighed.

Batman strode forward, grasping Bruce's shoulders. "Just a moment ago you were telling me Dick sacrificed his life for you. If that's true, tell me honestly you've never wanted revenge. Tell me you're okay with that man still free and out on the streets."

Bruce looked away. Once, when he was a boy he dreamed of becoming Robin; honoring his memory by taking out every scum in Gotham. He was a grown man now with children to take care of.

"Now tell me you're okay with knowing that same man is out there, threatening the lives of your sons. Tell me you're okay with them going out and getting shot due to a hot temper, a mistake, a distraction."

"I will _never_ be okay with something like that." Bruce's low voice was thick with anger and pain.

"Then you must become Batman. I am Dick's protector. I watch him, keep him close, and protect him from all of those psychopathic creeps out there right now." Batman put a hand on Bruce's chest. "It's your turn to take up the cowl and cape. It's your turn to strike fear into those that once frightened you. It's time you put away every criminal, every man or woman who thinks they can get away with breaking the law in _your_ city and potentially threaten the lives of you and your loved ones."

Bruce felt the power in those words.

"How?"

"I'll teach you."

"I'll hold you to that."

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><p>I got a request to ship some people, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline, as there really are no pairings in this fic. I mean, you could squint and see some TimKon if you wanted, or even some Dick/Damian or M'gann/Conner or Jason/Babs or Dick/Babs, but I haven't really established a pairing. The most I could do is hint towards it, but in the case of Wally and Dick, it's going to be hard because I really see them as brothers. I could see the pairing working out, but in this fic, the brotherhood between Dick, Wally, and Roy pretty much stands out.

Sorry again that I can't do it, but if you want to rewrite a scene where Dick and Wally snog or whatever, feel free! I'd be happy to see it. Unfortunately, I don't have it planned for the ending.


	45. Adoption

You guys, I'm so very sorry. It's been what? A week? I've been kind of emotionally drained, and this chapter is sort of pure emotion. School just started back up again and I'm trying to get used to the new rhythm again. Please forgive my super late chapter. Unfortunately, I can't tell you when the next will be up. I have a couple of classes where I have free time, so it could be sooner than later, but of course the rest of the story is pretty much emotional scene after emotional scene. I'm doing my best, so please put up with me for a while longer until this is finished.

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><p>As Bruce left the Batcave, two new figures took his place. Batman knew this time would come, but he didn't expect it to hit him so hard. After years of submerging himself in darkness and burdening himself with the hand of justice, the very factor sending him into such a frenzy for vigilantism was climbing down the steps of the cave.<p>

Martha looked exactly how he'd always imagined. Her gray hair turning into a beautiful snow white, pulled back neatly as she always did when around the house. Even when her hair was shorter, she would pin it back. Her face held little wrinkles for someone in their early seventies; most likely due to a wealthy life style. Her eyes were kind and her lips drawn back into a small smile. She was thin, but not overly so. She exuded the gentleness that had always been his mother.

Thomas was still tall and strong despite his old age. His face held more wrinkles than his wife, but instead of kind eyes, his were concerned. His gray hair had streaks of white, but he was not partial to balding, such as Alfred. There was a frown, but not a frown of disappointment or irritation. This was an expression Bruce once knew when he had scraped up his knee or fallen down the staircase one spring morning.

"Hello son," Thomas nodded at him, keeping his distance. Martha followed suit, though her hands were itching to hold him. "You're looking well."

What should he say? What had Dick said when he first saw his parents? What _could _he say to his lost loved ones? Often he's pondered the thought while visiting their graves. If he's had five more minutes with them, what would he have said?

Martha shot forward and enveloped him in a hug. It was different, being hugged by his mother at this age. Her softness relaxed him and he stood there, waiting until she pulled away. She reached up and caressed his cheek.

"You've been in need of this for a while, from what we've heard." Martha spoke softly. "Dick's been a wonderful boy and he's told us everything."

"You understand it wasn't your fault, right?" Thomas put a hand on his son's arm. "That night was a tragic one, but we're glad you survived it. Alfred's been taking good care of you?"

Bruce finally found himself answering shakily. "More than you know."

Thomas smiled. "Good man, that Alfred."

"Bruce," Martha pulled her hand back, and her soft features hardened up a bit, "we understand that life has been hard for you, but we don't understand a few things."

"Dick is a child; this you know and I'm sure you've already heard this. You're a grown man, and you make your own decisions, but Dick isn't yet grown. He needs someone he can look up to. He needs a father."

Bruce had just had this talk—at least until the word father was mentioned.

"The entire time Dick's been here, we've only heard him call you Bruce. You took him in, didn't you? Why haven't you adopted him?" Martha looked almost hurt as she asked him.

Bruce took a moment of silence. "He already has a father. We work better without determined roles. He understands—"

"No, I don't think he does." Thomas interrupted. "Bruce, he's cautious, far too cautious for a kid his age. We spent nearly a week trying to convince him it was okay to live here. He snuck into the house when he couldn't take the cold. He made himself sick, sleeping outside in the snow. In his fevered sleep, he was constantly apologizing; whether it was to his parents or Batman, it was the same grief. He was afraid to get this Bruce involved in this. He was afraid, Bruce."

Bruce hadn't expected that. He felt sick himself, hearing about this. Just how much had his little boy suffered this past year? Bruce nearly broke down completely after the first week. He wanted to give up on everything; being Batman, leading his company, even being inside of that manor with no one but an equally grieving Alfred.

Dick meant the world to both of them. Alfred didn't think he noticed, but the tea was salty. The salt from the old man's tears was noticeable in his tea and it only hurt Bruce more. Between Superman, Flash, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Wonder Woman, he'd heard enough to throw in the towel. The only thing keeping him alive, at this point, was the determination to fix what he'd broken—to find what he'd lost.

Now Dick lay critically injured upstairs. He was lucky Young Justice had decided to sneak into the portal. Without them, Dick could have very well been dead by the time Bruce had even gotten a third of the way through the rubble.

"We love you, Bruce," Martha grabbed his gloved hand and squeezed, "don't you forget it."

"But just as we love you, son, Dick needs to know as well." Thomas nodded towards the door. "He's waiting for you. You'd best pay Mary and John a visit as well, to ask for custody properly."

Bruce numbly walked towards the cave entrance. This was not how he'd imagined seeing his parents again would have been like, but matters with Dick came first. He was sure he would speak to them on a more personal basis after he righted his wrong.

Looking back, he saw both of his parents giving reassuring nods. They were right. Dick needed a father, someone to depend on. Had Bruce actually adopted Dick, he was sure he would never have said what he had. Fathers looked at their sons differently than older partners did younger.

He could only hope Dick would forgive him; give him a chance to patch things up. Doubt suddenly filled him, the same doubt that surfaced when he'd first decided to take the boy in. Why would Dick want him as more than just a partner? Why would Dick need him as a father, when his own was far better?

Bruce never got a new set of parents. He had only Alfred…

Alfred never adopted him, but raised him like a son anyways. Would Bruce have felt less alone if Alfred had adopted him? Would he have felt a sense of family, instead of a glimpse of friendship? Why couldn't Bruce provide more of a comfort to this boy who had brought back a sense of family to the Wayne Manor?

Pushing away the doubt, Bruce replaced it with resolve. He would make things right and he would make sure Dick never felt the feelings Bruce did while growing up. He'd failed to do so thus far, but he would put an end to it.

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><p><strong>JuJu,<strong> I live in Washington State. Do you live in California? Or Oregon? Or maybe same state as me? Let me know if you feel comfortable revealing it. I'm not asking specifics, so just the state will do.

**Maskedmidnightninja,** thanks for your review. You're sweet, and I'm glad you decided to let me know what you think.

**amozon28,** thank you for comforting me in the late chapter, but i feel your comfort was wasted since I took a long leave of absence like right after you sent it to me. Much appreciated anyways!

Thanks to everyone else for reviewing. I'm glad you are all okay with there not being any set pairings within this story. I might write pairings in the future, but for now, I'm sticking with just general stuff. Thanks for being so supportive and once again I'm sorry for the long wait.


	46. Finally Found His Family

Aww, you guys! I've missed your beautiful reviews! First, I would just like to thank everyone for sticking with me. I had such an inspiration from your reviews that I managed to get this part in. But, alas, I have been caught. That's right; I have extended this a few chapters. There are some scenes that just need to be written, and if I'm going to get this out on a fairly regular basis, the chapters are going to be about this length. I'm sorry it's short, but I'm really just trying to complete this. If I leave this too long I'll lose interest and it will just sit there, like all of the rest of my writing projects.

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><p>Damian was in a foul mood. He didn't appreciate being watched over by Dick's has-been friends. They didn't look overly intelligent, and Damian wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was very threatened by their presence. There was a little voice in the back of his head mocking him, telling him Dick was going to leave with these guys instead of staying here and continuing the training and the patrols.<p>

These people were stealing his brother away and Damian did not like that at all. Jason felt the same way, apparently, and was equally as distressed. The two were helped up to Dick's room for a short visit despite Bruce's concerns. Mary and John had agreed to their visit, finding no harm in it. The boys had been close to Dick and they were sure it would only help to comfort him in his continuing state of unconsciousness.

Mary had managed to pry John from the room for a couple of hours of much needed rest. Dick wasn't going anywhere, and the security was tight enough. In his place, Jason sat, crutches leaning against the wall and arms folded across his chest. Damian, due to his hip injury, was laid out on the bed beside Dick. He was small enough to give Dick the room he needed for a comfortable rest.

"What should we do about them?"

"You mean the Wonder Kids?" Jason snorted. "Nothing we can do right now."

"They're planning to steal him away."

"He was never ours to begin with." Jason muttered, furrowing his brow.

"He's our brother." Damian persisted. "We can't just let him be taken. His family is here; his brothers are here."

"He's not a pet. Let him decide for himself."

Damian growled, turning onto his side. His hip protested, but the ten year old ignored it to stare his eldest brother in the eyes.

"I thought you were on my side."

"I'm on _his_ side, you little punk." Jason hissed. "I don't like it any more than you do, but how would you feel if you were in his position?"

"You mean finally finding my family?" Damian rolled back over. "I've already been there."

Jason had forgotten; Damian had run from his own mother to seek out Bruce. They had lied when they said Bruce adopted all three of them. Damian was Bruce's true blood. Of course, because of the press and Damian's reverence towards Bruce as a kind person, he opted to keep it a secret. Should anyone know Bruce had a son out of wedlock it would ruin him. Bruce didn't care much for his image, but it would become harder to maintain his company, to be allowed as much freedom as he's had with the lack of invading paparazzi.

Damian was played off as just another unfortunate street rat taken in. Bruce still felt guilty for hiding the truth, and Jason and Tim felt a bit of resentment towards the child. He was Bruce's heir and yet he was trying to become one of them, one of those who had gotten lucky and been in the right place at the right time to attract Bruce's compassionate heart.

Bruce made sure the three of them knew he had never taken them in because he felt it would boost his image. He had made sure each of them knew he loved and cherished them. It didn't stop the hurt when all of a sudden the Golden Boy was back to life and running around, ruining the family Jason had just gotten used to.

Dick had been a surprise. Jason never expected to find himself actually caring for the boy he'd grown to hate with all of his soul. Dick was the enemy, the only one who was good enough for Bruce. How had this boy wormed his way into his heart? How was it turned around; instead of wishing the boy would go back to being buried the in backyard, he was praying Dick would stay with them?

There was a dark presence at the door, and Jason turned to see Batman, his cowl up and his eyes trained on Dick. Instinct overruled logic and Jason grabbed his crutches, ready to use them to fend off Batman. Once he realized what he was doing, his lowered the crutches.

"Damian, time's up. Let's go." Jason shakily got to his feet, crutching over to Damian. "He needs help being moved."

Batman nodded, striding past Jason and collecting the unwilling, sour boy into his arms and depositing him into Jason's room. Jason followed after, glancing back at Dick. He knew of the nightmares, of the frantic apologies whispered to this Batman. Whatever the man had done, it had seriously affected his brother. If Dick was in any way hurt by Batman, Jason was going to hunt him down. It didn't matter if this was Bruce. This wasn't the Bruce he knew, and it certainly wasn't the Bruce he wanted to know if he'd hurt Dick as much as he had.

Batman crossed the hallway, sparing a glance at Wally from down the hall before entering Dick's room. Wally's eyes had told him everything. He was cutting the Dark Knight into pieces mentally, burning him with a fire of rage and accusation. He wasn't worried about Wally West. No, he was far more occupied with his little Robin.

After a small, agonizing talk with Mary and John, Batman had gotten his answer. He had regained his confidence and courage to apologize to this boy who had suffered so much by his hand. He was ready to ask forgiveness, and more than ready to hold that small, frail body in his arms once more.

Shutting the door quietly and taking a seat by Dick's bedside, Batman pulled down his cowl and clutched at his partner's ungloved hand. The only sound in the room was the boy's soft breathing, much better than the day before and a comforting lullaby. Bruce had been aching to hear the sweet sounds of air being pushed in and out of the lungs. All of those nights this past year imagining this boy dead, and here he was; alive and resting peacefully.

Gently, Batman placed a hand on Dick's brow, sweeping away the raven locks resting there. The body was warm, fresh blood pumping through and no longer being expelled from his lungs. Robin was safe, and Batman broke down.

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><p><strong>BanannaSlapz517, <strong>yes, that last chapter was a bit hard to write. When writing an emotional scene—at least I hope it was emotional for you guys—I tend to have to be in the correct mood. When I'm sad, it fits perfectly. Put on some sad tunes and BAM! You get the first part of this fic. Lately I've been in school and happy to joke around with my friends, so it's been hard to get back into the sort of depressing mood. I really put myself in the character's shoes, and when I can't, it's almost a waste of time to write something out like that. Lucky for me, I happened upon a bit of negative energy from the exhaustion of waking up early again, and put it to good use.

**Plushiepaw**, aww, you make me blush! I'm glad you read the whole thing in one go. In fact, when I finish this, I suggest you do it again to get the feel for the whole story. I, myself, go back and reread this whole thing and am amazed at myself for some of the emotions that this strikes up in me. I freaking wrote it and I'm impressed, how sad is that?

**Bluejay**, Can I just—can I just hug you right now? Faithfully reading this? I feel worshipped. Seriously, you don't understand the sort of power trip that gives me. It's unhealthy, dangerous, and very motivational for someone writing such a long and risky fic. Thanks so much!

**tydeerose**, I would love to write a cute little Dick, but he's a bit too old for that and he's a bit too attached to everyone else at this point. There really isn't room for him to be shy. I love your idea, but I'm afraid I can't include it in THIS fic. I've got a couple more fic ideas running around my little head, and I'm sure I'll find one to add in that splendid idea. Thank you for sharing it.

**KikkioyshiUchiha**, Thanks for worrying about me! I wouldn't die on _purpose_. Although I'll tell you a little fun fact. A few weeks ago I was seriously hoping a car would hit me so I could sue and get money for comics. How sad is that? Messed up, right? I'm a terrible person. Luckily, no car has hit me and I do not mean to offend or disregard any who have been in a car accident or been hit by a car. Whether you've been safe, hurt, or know someone who's died in an accident, I'm very sympathetic and know how serious it is. I'm very sorry. Wow, that turned a bit morbid, didn't it?

**Amararae**, I'm so sorry about the PM thing. Guys, seriously, my PM turns off at random times. I log on everyday and have to reenable it. So if you were going to message me but couldn't, I'm sorry. In the future, should this happen, wait a couple of hours and try again. Like I said, everyday I have to freaking reset the dumb thing. Sorry again.

**Skylark**, don't even worry! I do that all the time! It's never the actual people I think about first, it's always "What if this doesn't get finished? Oh no, I need to know what happens! Update, you stupid author, update!" while I shake my screen. I'm so glad you love this fic. Seriously, I am. I would love to talk about the other part of your comment, but that's coming up in a bit and I really don't want to spoil it!

Guys, I have very exciting news! That comic a certain somebody awesome offered to make, has kick started with some amazing artwork! I have yet to get permission to post a link. I think it'll be okay, but I want to make sure, then you guys can see it! Only page one is done, but seriously, guys, it's awesome. It's of Chapter 40, not the beginning in case you were all thinking it was going to be the whole dang fic comicified. That would be seriously amazing, but pretty sure it'd take years. Anywho, thanks a bunch to **blueshirtmedic** for the lovely art. I love it.

P.S. guys, I got 17 reviews for this chapter. 17! That's more than I've ever gotten before! You guys seriously wowed me.

P.S.S This author's comment is as long as the freaking chapter.


	47. Apologies

You guys, I'm so very sorry for that last is the revised version. I sort of lost my way, and I apologize profusely. Sky, you asked why I bothered posting it if it wasn't my best. In truth, I suppose it was selfish of me to do so. I needed the negative comments to point me in the right direction. So thank you if you commented. I really did need that kick in the pants.

I hope you enjoy this revised version much better.

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><p>Dick snapped his eyes open, struggling against his cape. Why was it wound around him so tight? He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep. Any second now the Joker, Two Face, or any other was going to jump out and grab him. They were going to cut him up, blow him up, and put holes into him until he no longer squirmed.<p>

He was afraid.

"Dick, calm down!"

He knew that voice; but he couldn't see anything but darkness. He struggled harder. He needed to get to Batman. Batman was safety. He needed to run. Hurry! Run and hide. Keep moving. Bite back the pain and keep moving.

He remembered getting to his feet before they collapsed from underneath him. Large hands caught him and he struggled; struggled to breathe and struggled to get away. The hands were forcing him to lie back down and wound his cape back around him.

No. Not his cape; it was a blanket. The darkness of Gotham dissipated into a bedroom, light only emanating from the hallway. He slowed his breath, fighting against the pain and focusing on the soothing words the figure above him was saying.

"That's it. Calm down. It's alright; we got you out of there."

He felt his eyes become heavy, but he refused to let them fall. Above him, Bruce had a hand on his chest, not applying pressure, but the weight of it comforting. Good, he was safe.

Wait. Where were the bruises? How long had he been out for? The near scowl, the unconsciously concealed worry, and the black adorning Bruce's frame pointed in only one direction.

"Batman?"

It came out shaky and far too fearful for his own liking. His mouth went dry and his breathing quickened again. Bruce slowly nodded, taking one of Dick's hands into his own. Dick's lower lip quivered until fat tears spilled from his eyes.

"I'm sorry!" He croaked, squeezing as hard as he could. "I'm sorry!"

Bruce didn't say anything, simply squeezing back. Dick wasn't coherent enough to remember a serious talk. Bruce didn't know if he was quiet ready yet either.

"Go back to sleep, Dick."

Dick obeyed, closing his eyes, but continued to whisper apologies. Bruce let go of Dick's hand, ignoring the boy's attempt at finding it again, and placed it gently over Dick's eyes. Dick placed a smaller hand over his and breathed more evenly. The tears had stopped and slowly, Dick was falling back asleep.

He snapped his eyes open again after Bruce had retracted his hand, reaching up to grasp at him. At the small whimpers, Bruce shushed him, reconnecting their hands together. There were unspoken words between them.

_I need you._

_I'm here. I'm never going away._

_I'm sorry._

_All I have is you. I won't let you go again._

There was a realization then. Bruce's gentleness, his lighter tone of voice, and the paternal actions… Batman had forgiven him. The weight of guilt and fear of permanent rejection washed away, and Dick felt a bit tingly. He slowly began to giggle. The giggling turned to choking and sobbing.

Bruce tenderly lifted the boy into his arms, for only the third time in his life hugging the boy to him as he sobbed out the relief and misery.

"I missed you, Dick." Bruce murmured into his hair, lightly rocking from side to side as his own mother sued to.

"I was so scared!" Dick blubbered, struggling to breathe again. His chest hurt.

The words cut at him, and Bruce was having trouble not breaking down again himself. "I'm sorry."

No more words needed to be said. Bruce was there for Dick, and Dick let himself go, having holed everything up for the past year. He never told anyone what he'd done; not this Bruce, or Alfred, or any of his brothers.

Minutes passed, and Dick was exhausted. His chest still hurt, and Bruce helped him lay back down. He was dizzy and Bruce's face was blurred, but Dick knew he was there.

"Team?"

"They're here." Bruce assured, pulling the blankets up to his neck. "Sleep. You need it."

A small hand peeked out from under the covers, and Bruce covered it with his own. Dick smiled weakly and allowed himself to sleep. Bruce didn't know if he'd remember this in the morning, but he would repeat his actions if Dick needed him to. He wasn't going to ever let this boy, this precious piece of life which had brought him back from the very depths of the darkness and into a restful state of mind, be hurt by his actions again.

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><p>Dick had remembered it that morning, offering a small smile at Batman. Alfred came in to check on him, sighing here and there at the various injuries. He'd really done a number to his lungs, and he'd be bedridden for a few days until they healed.<p>

There was yelling going on from downstairs, but Alfred seemed to pay it no mind. Dick furrowed his brow, raising an eyebrow at Batman, who shook his head.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing you need concern yourself over. I believe young master Tim has discovered young master Damian is limited on his movement. Honestly, I'm surprised young master Jason hasn't joined in. Mister Kent, on the other hand, has indeed decided to help."

Dick groaned. "Who's playing mediator?"

"Master John is working with Master Thomas on wrangling in the mischief. It does not help that you have trained them to act like animals."

"You trained them?" Batman piped up, his soft frown lightening up just a smidge.

"Oh yes," Alfred answered, pushing Dick back down, "and caused far too much trouble. We now have a "Batcave" in the backyard, equipped with weapons that could most definitely be used for murder. I don't doubt one of these days those boys will murder each other."

"They aren't that bad, Alfred!" Dick protested. "I just… gave them an outlet!"

"A very wise decision, sir." Alfred quipped sarcastically, retrieving his tray and leaving.

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Dick played with the hem of the blanket and Bruce sat completely still in his chair on the bedside.

"You brought the team with you?"

"No. They decided to invite themselves over." There was a terseness to Batman's voice that told him he was extremely displeased.

"When are we going back?"

"Red Arrow went to deliver the message back to the Watch Tower. We'll know when he returns."

There was another silence, and Dick wasn't sure what to say. This was familiar, yet awkward. He was used to deflecting intruding questions from Bruce, and here he was trying desperately to fill in the void of silence so he could distract himself. The hurt was still present, but Dick was going to get through it. They could move past this.

Silence reigned until Dick fell back asleep. Bruce smoothed out the covers and returned to his seat, determined only to leave to relieve himself. He kept the room under lock down, allowing only Mary and John to visit. During these times Batman would seek out Bruce, and the training began. Alfred would frequent the room, checking on Dick's lungs and bringing up food.

Young Justice was growing impatient, but they respected the lockdown for the time being. There were four teenage boys and one woman who called for their attention, and the encounters were not all smiles. There was a mounting rivalry brewing. The Waynes did not want their brother to leave, and Young Justice just wanted Robin back.

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><p><strong>Skylark,<strong> Like I said up top, I posted that piece of crap up for feedback. Probably not the best move, but in the end it helped me tremendously. Your comment about the dialogue opened up the realization that Batman and Robin communicate in a special way. They don't always need to voice their thoughts. You really did help me out a ton! Thank you so much! Every one of your points was valid and without your guidance I'm not sure I would have written it this way at all. The last thing I want is cheese. I love you so much right now for being what I needed! Thank you for taking the time to write out your review.

**DawnMoonWolf,** I understand completely. The dialogue and the adoption thing and it was all just way out of whack. I hope the emotions in this revised version pleases you and everyone else.

Some liked the old chapter. I'm honestly surprised. I HATED it. I guess I'm flattered you liked it, but it was not my best work. For this I apologize. I hope I didn't lose anyone with that nasty, horrible piece of crap. Next chapter should come a LOT sooner than the last three chapters have. I lost my inspiration a bit, but with new episodes of Young Justice coming out, I'm getting my groove back. Thanks to all who are sticking with me, and welcome all who have just recently discovered this fic!


	48. Squabbles and Decisions

Guys! It's been so very long! I'm so sorry it's taken so long. I'm in my senior year of high school, so there's a ton of events and crap I have to go through. Not to mention I had to write a play an entire 4 months earlier than I usually have to. Augh, it's been so hectic! Just a warning, NaNoWriMo starts in a few days, so I haven't got a clue as to when the next update will be. I usually write other things to get through writer's block, so I'm hoping to work on this and my NanoWrimo project at the same time. So much work is involved this next month, guys. But I'm working on it, I promise! I'm not going to abandon this, and I know the ending. So don't think I don't have a plan.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It was kind of fun to write. It's also longer than usual. Once again, sorry for the wait.

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><p>Wally growled, stomping down the stairs, past Alfred and M'gann with their trays of scones, and into the living room, where Damian was huffing over being bed ridden for the next week. As soon as he entered the Wayne boys were quiet. There was a woman Wally hadn't seen yet, red hair and glasses were the only things he needed to see in order to understand she was hot.<p>

Also downstairs was Superboy—their Superboy, if the constant frown was any indication. Conner was looking at him, understanding the frustration he was feeling and acting upon. The Waynes did not, however, and found his scowl unwelcome.

"What's up with _you_?"

"Batman." Wally snarled back at Damian. "He's holing Rob up there and won't let anyone in."

There was a soft sigh behind him, and M'gann was entering the living room as well. "I made him scones, but it seems only Alfred can go in."

"Did you get to see Rob at all?"

She shook her head. "No. I heard him though, and I'm going to try establishing a connection after Alfred comes back. I don't want to disturb him while he's eating."

"Link us all up then." Wally gave a look to Conner, who nodded.

"What's this link you're talking about?" The redhead asked, leaning over the couch with her arms on the top of Damian's head and her chin resting on her arms.

"_It's a mental link."_ M'gann told her, watching as she stood up and held a hand to her forehead, taking a step back. "Oops, I didn't mean to say that mentally. Uh, hi, I'm M'gann, but you can call me Megan."

The woman took a moment to recover, but hesitantly introduced herself. "I'm Barbara."

"Barbara, what lovely name!" M'gann clapped her hands together and smiled. "Are you also a part of this family?"

Barbara took a moment to think about it. "I guess you could say that. These guys are like little brothers to me."

"Wait a second, that suit… don't tell me!" Wally took a step back, eyes wide. "You're Batgirl?"

"Duh." Jason rolled his eyes. "Haven't we all been over this introduction thing?"

"I wasn't here." Barbara pointed out. "How do you know—Oh, that's right. Dick said I was Batgirl in your dimension, right?"

"I don't believe it." Wally looked her over, earning a few glares from Jason, Tim, and Damian. Barbara was too busy trying to remember what exactly Dick had told her about his dimension.

"There's a Batgirl?" Conner asked, sharing an equally confused glance with M'gann.

"Of course there's a Batgirl! As soon as we get Rob back home, he's introducing us." Wally declared, a wide smirk on his face.

Jason narrowed his eyes. "Who says he's even going back?"

The grin faded and Wally shifted into a more defensive stance. "What do you mean? We're taking him _home_."

"He already has a home." Tim bit out. "His home is here, with us."

"Robin is not part of this dimension." Kaldur said, entering the room from the kitchen behind Conner.

"He is now." Jason sat up straighter. He was itching to fight, despite his still very broken ankle.

"He doesn't belong here!" Wally snapped.

"Oh, and he belongs with you?" Damian snarled. "I can see you've taken excellent care of him."

"He was living on the streets, he refused to let anyone help him, and let's not forget the nightmares." Jason added. "Tell me, how does that say to you 'I loved my life and I want to go back.'?"

Young Justice looked stricken, but Wally refused to give up the argument. "Yeah, I see you've taken great care as well. That's why we had to dig him out of a pile of rubble a mile high!"

Tim launched, tackling Wally to the floor and sending punches toward his face. Wally quickly recovered, wrestling against the offending arms, retaliating with punches of his own. M'gann pushed Tim off of Wally telepathically and after Babs had caught him, sent a batarang or two her direction.

Conner leapt into the action, tackling Barbara down and Damian released his own batarangs. He couldn't really move, but he was going to defend his family nonetheless. Jason launched himself onto Conner's back, wrapping his arms around Conner's neck to choke him. Kaldur went to pull Jason off, but Tim recovered and tripped him before he could get there.

Wally, with a burst of speed, crashed into Tim and the wall, busting through it and into the kitchen. Tim struggled to get free, but Wally had him pinned. Conner got off of Barbara and instead threw Jason into the couch, tipping it over and sending Damian sprawling across the floor with a sharp yelp of pain.

Barbara then turned to M'gann, who used her powers to lift Barbara off of the floor and into the air. Of course, in retaliation, a rather explosive device was sent flying towards the Martian. Things from there got a little hazy. The explosion sent M'gann through the railing of the staircase and out into the sitting room. Conner erupted into a fit of rage, pouncing back on Barbara as soon as she had unceremoniously been dropped onto the floor.

Kaldur, realizing things had gotten out of hand, tried to hold Conner back, but then Kon came out of the kitchen, holding apart the still snarling Tim and Wally. He dropped the two in order to hold back Conner, leaving Tim to launch back onto Wally.

Damian was still hissing curses and holding onto his hip in agony. The fall had jolted the very tender wound. Jason was trying to regain his breath, but still very aware that he had his knife and a well aimed throw could seriously injure Wally, who managed to get the upper hand on Tim, now suffering a very bloody nose.

"You will stop this immediately!" Alfred's sharp voice commanded from the chaos.

A couple more punches were thrown before the violence died out. Alfred descended the stairs, very angry and with Mary and John right behind him.

"I cannot believe without an adult in the room for two seconds, you have managed to destroy a good portion of this house."

"Alfred—" Barbara was silenced with the raising of a hand.

"I will have none of it, Miss Gordon. All of you are at fault here."

"What was this about?" John asked, looking at the devastation and the injuries the children were nursing.

"They're trying to take Dick away from us." Tim answered, shoving Wally off of him.

"We're taking him back home!" Wally snarled back. "His _real_ home!"

"His parents are here!" Jason shot back. "You really want to tear him away from them?"

"Enough!" Alfred roared. "We will discuss this later. Master Richard is trying to rest, already disturbed by the noise from this morning's fiasco. I will not be surprised if he is preparing to defend himself from the very monsters that sent him into this state."

Guilt ran through them. When they had dug him out of the rubble, he was so disoriented and M'gann had allowed them to feel the fear Robin was harboring. None of them thought about what the noise would do and what nightmares it could bring up.

Mary took another few steps down the steps, looking absolutely horrified. "You are fighting over whether Dick stays or goes?"

The silence was enough of an answer.

"Dick should be the judge of that, don't you think?" John shook his head. "Or perhaps not. Perhaps none of you thought at all."

"If you would just let us see him—" Wally tried, but was cut off.

"See him? You can't even keep yourself together. Dick doesn't need the stress of this; he's been through enough these past couple of weeks." Mary took a deep breath. "We will let him decide when he ready to see you, _any_ of you."

Mary and John retreated upstairs, and through the guilty silence, they heard Dick ask;

"Are they hurt?"

Alfred sighed, letting the question sink in before picking up a chunk of the staircase railing. "We are going to clean this up, together, and we are not going to say a word. Understood?"

With a triad of "Yes, sir.", Young Justice picked themselves up and helped the Batfamily to their feet. Damian was exempt from cleaning, still in great pain from his fall. He was instead taken to his room for solitary rest. The cleaning process was long and painfully silent. Alfred only answered questions about cleaning, and despite the animosity towards each other, they all managed to get along and work together.

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><p>Dick sighed, tossing his head back and forth on comfortable pillow out of sheer boredom. At least, until he heard the yelling and the loud thumps and thuds of a fight. He wasn't the only one. Alfred, who was writing down medical information jumped at the sounds. Mary and John, who were sitting with Dick at the time, also jumped at the noise.<p>

The thought of an attack on the manor brought them all to their feet. Well, Dick tried to, but was promptly told to lay back down and stay quiet. Although he was irritated at the treatment, Alfred and his parents left the room before Dick could even protest.

A lot went through his head as he heard the explosion. It nearly sent him out the door. He managed to stand up without too much trouble. His lungs hurt, but it wasn't like he was Damian and couldn't move about. His brothers were down there!

…Since when had he considered them brothers? He'd just sort of showed up in their lives after a moment of weakness. Honestly, he was surprised they didn't kick him out. He was stealing Bruce away from them, or at least that's how Dick would have felt.

Was it when they brought him back to the manor? Was it when he'd spent Christmas with them, and shared in a tradition he'd never known before? Christmases were always quiet and a time to reflect on family that they'd lost. Here, it was a time to celebrate family they'd always had.

Was it when he taught them how to fight, how to defend themselves from the psychos living in Gotham? Was it when he'd taken charge and gone to rescue Bruce? Or was it when he realized they'd been brothers all along, he just hadn't met them yet?

The thought sent a strange chill through his body. All of a sudden it became harder to think about leaving. There was a loud yell—Superboy. How could he forget about his friends, his partners? M'gann, Kaldur, Conner, Wally, Artemis, they were all part of his life now. They were down there, fighting whoever for his safety.

The fighting stopped, and fear flashed through him. Were they okay? Who won? He made his way to the door slowly, preparing to pounce if the wrong person entered the upstairs. After a moment, two sets of footsteps made their way upstairs. Dick tensed and the door opened. At the sight of John and Mary, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are they hurt?"

"They'll be fine. There was no real danger." The bitterness in his father's voice confused him. "What are you doing up? We told you to stay in bed."

"I want to see them."

"No, Dick," Mary refused, placing a palm on his cheek, "it's not the right time."

"I'm fine." Dick pressed. "I can walk without dying, and I'm ready to see them."

"They aren't ready to see you, son. Not yet." Gently, John pushed him toward the bed. Dick pushed away and out of his father's reach. "Dick—"

"What aren't you telling me?" Dick clenched his fists and frowned. "I'm not a child anymore. You can't just hide things from me… not after not seeing you for so long."

"They were fighting over you, Dick." John answered. "They need to work out some things themselves before they're ready to see you. You don't need that right now, alright?"

"Fighting over me?" Dick took a moment to think about it. They must have been fighting over who he'd be staying with.

"Let them work it out. We need to talk about a few things first."

"Like what?"

"Like what's going to happen in the next few days or so." John took a seat and hoped Dick would get the hint. He didn't, or if he did he chose to ignore it. "It's going to be hard for you, son. You have a few decisions to make."

Dick sighed and leaned back against the wall. "I know."

"We're here for you, whatever decisions you make. You know that, right?" Mary asked. "We'll support you."

"Yeah, I know."

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><p>I just want to say welcome all newcomers! I got a bunch of people who reviewed telling me they stayed up to some ungodly hour of the morning reading it all. You guys are really all so sweet. I really did need the bad reviews guys, so don't feel bad about it at all! Thank you so much for all the good ones as well! They are a constant motivation!<p> 


	49. I Have to Go

Phew, guys it's nearing time to close this sucker up. I'm going to try to get the rest of this fic written by Tuesday. Since I'm starting NanoWrimo, I want to get this done so you don't have to wait an entire month before a new chapter gets posted. I'm super sorry for those ugly times of extreme delay. I'm hoping the small bit of a rush does not hinder on the quality. I'm really trying to make this as thoughtful and detailed as I can.

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><p>Dick was starting to wonder what was going on. He hadn't seen Bruce or Batman for the past 24 hours; his parents hadn't been there when he awoke, and the mansion was silent. He was so tired of being locked in this room, being forced to lay down and do nothing but think.<p>

Thinking hurt; it brought back memories not wanted and it reminded him of his mistakes. He needed to get out of this room. He was being suffocated. His lungs had to have healed by now; it'd been almost a week! Rolling over and off of the bed, he stood and listened.

Silence.

Figuring it was safe to move about without being ushered straight back into bed, he opened the door to the bedroom and made his way down the hall. There was soft snoring coming from Damian's room despite the time. It was only late afternoon. Peeking in on his little brother, he found all of his brothers, including Barbara sitting quietly in the cat filled room.

Barbara was brushing her hair on the floor next to the bed, sitting on a pile of kitten plushes, a bored expression on her face. Tim was on a computer, quietly scrolling down whatever web page he wasn't concentrating on. Jason was at the end of the bed, leaning against the wall and fiddling with a lighter. Damian was fast asleep, one arm curled around a cat plush and the other hanging off of the bed.

"Why are you all in here?" Dick asked quietly, trying not to rouse his still recovering little brother. When Batman told him of the injuries the others faced, he was feeling both guilt and relief. He'd been afraid Damian was dead, and he'd had no clue as to whether Jason, Tim, Babs, and Kon were alright. He didn't even know if Bruce had gotten out alright.

Three heads instantly snapped in his direction. Babs set down the brush, Tim closed the laptop and set it aside, and Jason momentarily stopped fiddling with his lighter.

"What are you doing up?" Tim asked.

"Got boring in there." Dick shrugged, not really knowing what else to say.

"Are you okay?" Barbara asked scooting over to make room for him on the mountain of cat plushes.

Dick accepted the invitation and collapsed slowly and carefully onto the pile. He didn't want to aggravate his lungs at all. Just because he could walk didn't mean he was completely fine.

"For the most part." Dick smiled at Damian, who snorted in his sleep and rolled over. "I was worried about you guys."

"_You_ were worried?" Tim hissed. "We were the ones wondering if you were dead in some alley! Why'd you just run off?"

Dick frowned. He really didn't want to argue about this right now. Seeing as they wouldn't give up on getting an answer, he reluctantly revealed his logic.

"You guys were getting Bruce out, so I needed to get them off your track."

"Jay and Roy were getting Bruce and Damian out. They didn't exactly need our help. You, on the other hand, did." Barbara countered. "So why didn't you let us help you?"

Dick sank a bit, entirely unhappy to have been caught for his stupid, selfish actions. "They were after _me_. There wasn't any point in getting you guys more involved."

"We're your family, in case you didn't notice." Jason lit the lighter before letting the flame die. "We're always going to be involved."

Dick knew it was true and kept quiet. Damian suddenly choked and gasped for breath, sputtering before sitting up. He frantically licked his hands, a disgusted expression on his face.

"What's a matter?" Jason quipped with a quirked eyebrow. "Cat got your tongue?"

"More like the cat tried to kill him with a fur ball to the lungs." Tim added. "That's what you get for sleeping with stuffed animals, Damian."

"Shut up!" Damian coughed once more before throwing the offending stuffed animal at Tim.

"Easy," Barbara soothed, though she made no move to touch the irate boy, "Alfred said you need to lie still."

"I'm sick of lying still!" Damian growled.

"Same here dude." Dick sighed.

Damian gave him an odd look. "I see you've been released from the cage."

"More like escaped," Dick corrected, "but yes."

"So?" Damian demanded haughtily.

"So what?"

"Have you made your choice? Is it us or them?"

There was a tense silence that followed the question. Dick bit his lip. He knew he'd be forced to answer this question eventually. He was extremely worried about how they would take the news.

"I… look, it's a hard thing to answer, all right? I'm not exactly choosing—"

"Yes you are." Jason interrupted. "You can't be in two places at once."

"I know, but I don't exactly have a choice—"

"So it's them." Tim deadpanned, trying not to show the hurt on his face. Hadn't they all known this would be the choice in the end? Dick was always talking about how he needed to get home, to get back to his own dimension.

"Will you just listen to me?" Dick huffed. "I have to go back with them. I know you're all angry, but I can't just stay here."

"Why not? You've got family here." Barbara argued. "Why would you leave your family to go back to… to how miserable you were before?"

"I wasn't miserable!" Dick objected. "I mean, I went through a rough patch, that's all. It's my own fault anyways. I was the one who messed up. I have friends and family back there too. Things are just… a little less together."

"There's no sense talking about this." Damian lied back down, facing the wall and pulling the covers over his head. "Grayson isn't going to listen to reason."

"It's you guys who aren't listening! Just let me talk." Dick snarled. "I can't even get out a sentence without you blowing up on me."

"Then talk. All I've heard is "You don't understand… blah blah blah". Why don't you start explaining exactly what it is we don't understand?" Jason snapped back.

"If I don't go back this dimension isn't going to last. No one knows the exact time it'll collapse in on itself, but it will eventually." Dick explained tersely. "I have to go back. There are also people waiting for me."

No one said a word, but Tim looked away as well, obviously not liking Dick's excuse.

"I don't want to leave, either, okay? You're right; my parents are here, _you guys_ are here, and it's hard on me too. I've never had siblings before, and it's been really fun. But you guys aren't thinking about the others. They all probably thought I was dead. Babs, I can't even imagine what's running through your mind on the other side."

Barbara looked over at him, biting the inside of her cheek. It was true; she hadn't once thought of how her other self felt. She was younger and closer to Dick, from what she's heard. This heartbreak she was feeling, this anxiety of losing a little brother, she probably had felt it ten times harder.

Dick was having hard times coming to grips with what he was saying as well. He'd been so scared to face those he'd loved when he'd let that soldier drop, he'd forgotten all about how everyone back home was feeling. He was realizing what an impact he was making on his friends, his family, and he hadn't even seen them yet.

Still, none of his brothers said a word. Deciding that leaving them to their own thoughts was the best course of action, he carefully got to his feet and silently exited the room, shutting the door on his way out. That was hard to do, but actually saying goodbye would be harder.

"He's going to forget us." He heard Damian say from inside. "He's just going to forget and move on."

His chest squeezed painfully. He would never forget, and he was going to make sure they all knew that.

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><p>Special thanks to everyone who's reviewed! I am only 3 reviews away from 500! That is absolutely amazing! I thought I'd maybe only get about 50 max when I first started out. You all are incredible!<p> 


	50. What Batman Is

This chapter was impossible to write! I got stuck so many times! Augh, I don't even care if you like it. I finally got it to a satisfying place for me. So rawr. Also, life and a new job gets in the way. I feel like I'm making excuses but I'm not. Cold hard facts yo. Excuse my rediculously snarky attitude today, my week has been hell.

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><p>Dick made his way downstairs, no longer being cautious. He wasn't going back to his room, not until he saw his friends. The hurt from the conversation with his brothers and Babs transferred into anxiety. It'd been over a year since they had seen each other. What was he going to say?<p>

A more pressing question; would they forgive him? Just because Batman had forgiven him didn't mean the others would. What he'd done was supposed to have been unforgivable. Batman was… Bruce was just an exception. Young Justice went by the same rules every superhero went by. Killing was cause for imprisonment.

Down the stairs, through the kitchen and the dining room, through the sitting room, past the guest bedroom downstairs, and in through the dancing hall Bruce used when hosting parties, he found the house silent and empty.

The mansion like this reminded him of how it was most of the time back home. There was usually never anyone in the rooms and before he became Robin, he found it very disturbing. It felt like he was always on edge, always waiting for someone to jump out and scare him. There never was anything but dark shadows and cold rooms.

A quick peek out the window and his team was found. They were gathered around something, but from the location Dick deduced it was the secret entrance to the Batcave. What were they doing standing around—

M'gann was establishing a mental link and Dick wasn't sure he wanted her inside of his head. It was a warmth he missed and her sweet voice echoed slightly in his mind. He didn't answer the call, choosing to his mind quiet, focusing on his team through the window. M'gann seemed to find him anyways and turned around. Instantly there was one less person standing in the backyard, and Dick was being tackled into a tight embrace.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Wally buried his face in Dick's hair. "Do you hear me?"

When had he gotten so tall? Dick hesitantly hugged back, not sure what he should say. Slowly, the rest of his team emerged into the room, following Wally's lead.

"Wally, you're going to suffocate him." M'gann chided softly. She only half meant it; the way Wally was desperately clinging to Dick, trying to hold back the tears of relief and joy and pain was somewhere between heartbreaking and heartwarming.

"I don't care!" Wally pulled him in tighter, refusing to part with his best friend.

"KF, you're squeezing too tight." Dick's muffled voice came from Wally's shoulder and he loosened his hold a bit.

"We thought you were dead!" Wally pulled away from Dick, eyes blazing in a half hearted anger. "Do you know how hard the past year has been?"

Dick looked away. They didn't understand anything about the past year; about the inner turmoil, the guilt, the regret, the loneliness.

"We were worried about you." Conner admitted, the gruffness in voice gone and instead a quiet concern took its place.

"Sorry." Dick answered softly.

"It wasn't your fault you were thrown across dimensions." Kaldur said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Dick gave small nod of acknowledgement.

They all looked so different. M'gann looked softer; less happy go lucky, but still a kindness unlike any other radiated from her. Wally was taller, his hair still redder than M'gann's blush and his freckles still his defining feature. He looked stronger and Dick knew he must be faster. Conner looked bigger as well; taking on that larger than life feel Superman was known to have. Since when had Kaldur looked so… regal? His head held high and his entire being emanating leadership. Kaldur had perfected what it meant to lead a team, and Dick regretted not being there to see him grow.

And Artemis—

"Where's Artemis?"

It was Wally's turn to look away. M'gann looked to Conner, and the clone shook his head. Kaldur spoke up after a moment of silence.

"We lost contact with her six months ago. We couldn't get a hold of her."

Artemis was gone? Dick tried not to feel hurt. They all thought he was dead, what was he to expect?

"And Zatanna?"

"We… sort of forgot to tell her."

Figures.

"Roy is here. He's gone right now, but he'll be back." Wally assured.

"So this is where you've been for the last year?" Conner asked, changing the subject.

"Sort of." Dick shrugged. "The Waynes were nice enough to take me in."

"We met your parents." Kaldur said. "Why did you not stay with them?"

Dick bit his lip hard. M'gann looked like she was frantically saying something via mental link, but Dick was deaf to it. He had gotten the gist of the conversation due to the rigidness that spread through the others. He decided to spare them from the awkward silence and shift gears.

"Where's Batman?"

"Training Bruce Wayne." M'gann jutted her chin outside toward the grave and Batcave.

Dick couldn't breathe. "W-what did you say?"

"They're down in the cave—are you okay?" Wally furrowed his brows, watching Dick's face drain of color and his hands start to shake.

"Why? Why would he do that?" Dick whispered to himself before running past Wally, M'gann, and Kaldur. He almost made it past Conner, but the Superboy caught his arm, halting his journey.

"What's wrong?" Conner demanded, voice just forceful enough to let Dick understand he wasn't going to let him leave without an answer. "Why is that a bad thing?"

"You don't understand—"

"You're right. We don't; and we never will unless you tell us. I'm sick of the secrets! There's been too many with you and with Batman…" Wally trailed off in his outburst.

He hadn't meant to yell at him, but with all this stress of losing him and the grave—that grave was haunting. It represented the fears and the nightmares they'd been experiencing for the past year. Why was it there? What was the purpose of it if Robin was still alive?

Was there any point to keeping his identity a secret anymore? Dick wasn't even wearing his mask. They'd already met his parents, already met his brothers, and now Batman was training Bruce—

"It's bad because Bruce is happy. This isn't the life for him—for any of them! This Bruce can't… he doesn't need to force himself into this life." Dick felt the pressure on his arm disappear, but didn't look up at any of their faces. "Batman knows this, so why…?"

He didn't wait for an answer that none of his team could give, instead going to seek out the answer himself. He opened the entrance to the Batcave and slipped inside.

* * *

><p>The sight that greeted him was a memory he would not soon forget. Batman kicked Bruce in the chest, sending him skidding across the cave floor. Bruce groaned in pain, but rolled over and shakily got back up.<p>

"Tim just died because you weren't strong enough to stop the enemy."

There was pain inside of the Batcave, it was heavy in the air and Bruce looked as if he'd been struck ten times harder than Dick knew he had been. With a loud cry Bruce leapt forward, throwing everything he had into a punch, only to be knocked once more to the ground.

"Jason was just blown up by a stupid mistake you made in judgment." Batman's voice was cold and it cut not only into Bruce, but into Dick as well.

Again and again Bruce got back up, no matter how much pain he was in, and continued to strike back at Batman. For each failed attack Batman would declare another loved one dead. For each time Bruce got up, Dick could see his heart breaking.

Bruce never gave up; even with his body's weariness, he never stayed down. Admitting defeat meant submitting his loved ones to their deaths and turning his back on them. Bruce Wayne would _never_ allow that.

For over two hours, Dick watched them train, he listened to the deaths—a new scenario for each new round—and watch Bruce struggle to get back up. Finally, he collapsed, too exhausted to move. It was a strange moment, an extreme sense of loss and Dick didn't know he was crying until a tear drop fell from his chin.

"At this moment, you've done all you can. Remember this moment and how it feels. This fight—giving your all will _never_ be enough. There will never be a reachable goal and the enemy is countless. This fight will eventually end you, and you must face the reality of this. You cannot save anyone unless you are willing to reach this moment for every innocent person out there—and even those who are guilty—and know that it wasn't enough. We do not have super powers to save us. We have only ourselves, and it will surprise you what the human body can accomplish.

You will become the night. You will become what the cops can never be and you will save the lives who would be otherwise lost. This is a war, and there will be casualties, but you will learn and you will protect those dear to you. Never will you allow yourself to falter because as soon as you do they are dead. This is what Batman is."

With the swoop of his cape, Batman turned to face Dick at the entrance. Gone was the fear of ruining Bruce's life. Gone was the dread and the sick feeling of failing Bruce in his moments of weakness. Bruce Wayne had made this choice not because of him, but _for_ him. Jason, Tim, Damian, Barbara—they would need a Batman just as Dick needed one when he was a scared little boy watching his parents fall. This was a necessity for this world.

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><p>Okay, for the people who have been messaging me about that one dialogue piece in chap 15—you all know the one. I thought for sure I had fixed that and I'm so sorry. Should be fixed by the time you go back and reread the chapter to figure out what I'm talking about. I changed my mind midway through the chapter about how it was going to go down, so I changed it but completely neglected the utter stupidity of the dialogue. I sincerely apologize.<p>

Okay, should be only 4 chapters left, if that! It's drawing to a close and I'm almost relieved. As much fun as writing this has been, it's been a pain in the rear as well. Things that should have gone better didn't, but l guess you all liked it well enough to keep reading. Thanks for reading, by the way. It really makes me happy to see reviews and such. Y'all are real sweethearts, you know that?


	51. The Return of Roy Harper

Guys, I know this chapter is short, but I've been swaying back and forth on whether it should be its own chapter or combined with the next one. Since it took me over a month just to get this written-and I'm not so confident on the quality, either—I figured I'd just post it and lump the next two chapters together. There's a lot of heartfelt stuff happening in the next two chapters and I don't want to ruin it by trying to force myself to write it when not in the mood. I'm working on it, but this month has been full of happiness and it's really hard to write sad and emotional things when happy.

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><p>I'm doing my best to finish this-a miracle in and of itself, considering it will be the very first fan fiction I've ever truly finished-and make it a satisfactory ending. It's all planned out, so unless the characters just decide to write themselves a surprise ending, everything is covered and hopefully all of the loose ends are taken care of. Please stick with me to the end. It's almost done! Two chapters left, and with any luck, they will be lengthy ones to make up for this significantly shorter one.<p>

Roy had come back the next day, exhausted from arguing with the Justice League for hours on end over allowing him access to the computer to get the coordinates back home. He'd thought they'd be happy to send everyone back to their rightful place, but after hearing Robin had caused tremendous upheaval within the tower when he'd broken in, this Justice League was far less trusting than usual.

To think the kid had managed to outwit and outrun half of the league was a wonder in itself. Then again, if there was no Batman in this League, it made sense the security was lacking. Only a bat could come up with some bizarre way of breaking in—Robin not excluded.

Once he'd finally gotten the coordinates and been ready to take off, his counterpart had decided to give him a rather lengthy lecture on drugs, alcohol, and sex. It was incredibly awkward, and the manner in which he spoke disturbed Roy greatly. It became obvious the Roy Harper of this world had been caught up in using and abusing drugs, but the full story was hidden from him.

Not that he'd be willing to share much, either.

It had come down to Roy finally gaining access to the exit after promising to never touch drugs, whether it was confiscating them or otherwise, as long as Arsenal agreed to shave that awful beard. Despite the humorous ending, Roy knew his counterpart had dealt with a long and painful struggle over addition. He wouldn't take his words lightly—especially after hearing he was a father.

"Roy!" Wally called, zipping up to him. Roy was almost preparing for a hug, the redhead seemed to unnaturally excited to see him. "He's awake!"

Instantly the wariness of the past few days left and Roy was given directions to where Dick was currently sitting, munching on whatever it was M'gann was serving him. Whatever it was didn't seem like it was a toxic as what Dick had once joked about.

Dick turned to see him and timidly raised a hand to wave at him. Seeing as his mouth was full, he continued to chew as Roy looked him over, mentally taking note of every scratch yet to heal and every bandage wound around his body.

"Chill out, Roy, I'm fine." Dick finally said, swatting the hands away. "Good to see you too."

"Do you have any idea—"

"More than you know. It's all I've been hearing about." Dick grumped.

Funny, it seemed Dick was just his normal self. His mask was even off. Not that Roy hadn't already known who he was; they had been forced to go to the same boring Billionaire galas and who else was there to talk to? After a year of heartbreak it just seemed too… normal. He was expecting tears and tension, not… sarcasm and munching on treats.

He was disappointed, in a way. He was the last to see Dick, and all he received was a half hearted hello. He must have missed a lot in his absence. It wasn't like he was happy to be the one to go get the coordinates, either, but his counterpart had dragged him off—most likely planning that awkward "hugs no drugs" speech from the very beginning. The aggravating meeting the Justice League must have been an added bonus.

"I'm glad you're okay." What the hell was he supposed to say? He was completely thrown off. "You really threw me for a loop, you know?"

Dick offered a half hearted smile before taking another bite out of the sweet treat M'gann had made. The Martian was in the kitchen now, making some more. She was thoroughly enjoying having Alfred as a mentor and was using the opportunity to the fullest.

"Red Arrow," Batman greeted gruffly from behind, "I trust you have the coordinates."

"Yeah, I've got 'em." Roy snipped, tossing him the piece of paper he'd written them on. He was still angry at the bat, and he hadn't gotten his chance to get his feelings off of his chest yet. He wouldn't do it in front of Dick, but he'd be sure to catch Batman alone sometime and really give him a piece of his mind.

Batman took the coordinates and sent a meaningful look to the rest of them. "We leave in three hours."

Dick swallowed thickly. That was a lot sooner than he'd expected. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to handle the goodbyes. There was so much to do and so little time left. He had to keep reminding himself that he was the one who had called them here—he was the one who needed to go home. There were others at home who needed him.

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><p>I wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed so far! I love hearing your feedback and I'm especially grateful to those who have drawn me fanart. It's so lovely and flattering and I just love you all so much!<p>

Oh, and **Glimare**, quit reading my mind! How on earth did you predict that? I had this ending planned for months and you stroll in and go all "Oh, hey, you know what would be a good ending?" I absolutely adore you for _knowing_ and I hope I write it as well as I planned. I hope I don't let you down!

Welcome to the end, everyone who just picked this up! Thank you for sticking with me through this roller coaster of a fic. It was actually supposed to be only a third of this length, but my creative mind just decided to twist the plot again and again to really break out the craziness.


	52. The Beginning of the End

So, with Young Justice back, I've finally, finally gotten my inspiration back. So, without any more explanations, I give you the beginning of the end.

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><p>"Why didn't anyone tell me?"<p>

"Zatanna, calm down…"

"I can't believe you! Just because the team isn't the team anymore doesn't mean you can just leave me out when major things are happening to _team members_!"

"Zatanna, please," Black Canary tried to calm her down, but the irate magician was close to breaking something out of rage. "If we had known they were going to do _this_ we wouldn't have even let them. Batman's most likely already taken extreme measures to put them back in their place."

"Put them in their place?" Zatanna's fist crashed into the wall. "I can't believe you just said that! Robin has been missing for an entire year and you expect me and the rest of Young Justice to just sit back while Batman—_Batman_! —walks right in to try and make things right? Do you understand what could happen if he messes up? Huh? If he makes things worse?"

"You weren't the only one left out of the group, you know."

Dinah sighed, running a hand through her long blonde hair. Artemis, arms folded across her chest, leaned against the far wall of the room.

"Gee, it's no wonder." Zatanna spat, too hurt to care about hurting others. "It's not as if anyone could get a hold of you."

"I could say the same for you." Artemis retorted, equally agitated. "You were too busy trying to be a _real_ superhero to even bother contacting anyone. You're just as bad as Roy."

"Then why is Roy in another dimension and you and I are sitting here?"

"Look, both of you need to calm down." Dinah put up her hands and spoke slightly slower than usual in hopes to create a calming effect. "We received contact from Roy three hours ago. They found him and they are bringing him home. Let's not create a hostile home for Robin to come home to."

Dinah had a point, but that didn't mean the two girls were going to get along. The chaos following Robin's disappearance had done a real number on the relationships of the team. Friendships were broken, romances were strained, and there was no predicted mending in sight. Even with Robin coming home, too many things were said to be forgotten.

"How long?" Artemis asked, breaking eye contact with Zatanna.

"We don't know. Roy never gave us a specific time. The only thing we can do is look out for activity within the device room and a message from the other Watch Tower."

* * *

><p>Dick slowly ascended the stairs. His parents were lying together in a guest bedroom, silently comforting each other in a time of goodbyes. They knew it just as well as he that his time was almost up. He approached the guest bedroom as quietly as he could, not yet wanting to disturb them. With a quick peek into the room, his heart lurched painfully in his chest.<p>

His father's large, warm hand was rubbing small circles against his mother's lithe back. Quiet sobs were muffled into his father's chest, small hands clutching tightly to his shirt in desperation. She needed something—anything to hold onto in order to substitute for her little boy. John was holding her close, his own version of longing to never let go.

"Mary." John said softly, alerting his wife to the silent visitor to their room.

Mary took a moment to suppress her sobs and wipe her eyes before turning to her son at the door, offering a small smile she could barely muster.

"Dick, baby, come in."

Dick bit his lip and hesitantly entered, shutting the door behind him. He stood by the door, not quite sure how he was going to say goodbye to parents. This wasn't just a field trip, it was a permanent move. For lack of a better example, it was a bird leaving the nest. The anxiety of leaving was catching up to him, but he knew it had to be this way. He was more fortunate than many, having a second chance to see his parents again. What others would've given to say their peace with a lost loved one.

"Come on over, son. There's always room for you."

"No, I…" He what? Why was he refusing? "I shouldn't, Dad. It'll just be harder to—"

"Dick, please," Mary beckoned softly, "just once more, before you go."

He couldn't say no to her, and slowly crawled onto the bed. He felt as if he were five again, climbing into bed in the small show trailer. It was always his father to the left, his mother to the right, and he was sandwiched in between.

"You'll be careful, won't you?" Mary whispered, kissing his forehead and running her hand through his hair.

"I'm always careful, Mom. Bruce wouldn't let me go out if I wasn't."

"She doesn't just mean on the superhero business, Dick." John smiled, reaching down to find his son's hand and squeezed it in the palm of his own. "There are other things, important things to be careful with. Women, money, school—you should always think before you act."

"I know Dad, I've had this talk since I was five!"

It was a lame attempt at trying to lighten the mood, but what else could he do when he felt like his world was caving in around him again? He didn't want to cry, not in front of his parents. They were already heartbroken and he wasn't going to make this worse.

"We love you; don't forget that."

"I love you too."

There was a warm silence; a small moment in time of just holding one another, cherishing the last, precious few minutes they had. When it was time for them to part, Dick slowly removed himself from them, standing at the foot of the bed before turning back to flash them a small smile.

"Can I ask for one thing?"

"Anything."

"I want… I want a little brother or sister."

Mary and John were astonished. It had been over twenty years since they'd had a child together; and with Mary reaching her mid forties, it was starting to become dangerous to have a child. They had never even considered having another after the heartbreak.

"It's just… I feel awful. I'm going to go back and I'll have Bruce and Alfred, but you won't have anyone. So if you have a baby then it'll be easier. You won't have to be alone and I'll be able to know you're happy." No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the water works. "I just want to see you be happy."

Gentle arms eased him back into an embrace and once again the family was united. His father rocked him gently and his mother was whispering words of comfort. Silently, the unspoken agreement on the new baby was formed.

Dick pulled himself away once more—admittedly one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do. "Thank you for everything. I'll make you proud."

"You've always made us proud. Just take care of yourself."

Mary wiped away his tears, gently kissing his forehead one final time before slipping her wedding ring off of her finger. "I want you to give this to whoever you decide to dedicate yourself to. I'm sorry I won't be there to see the wedding."

"I'll send photos, Mom. I'll make sure they get to you somehow."

Finally, Richard Grayson left the comfort of his family and with one last loving glance, closed the door quietly behind him. Mary burst into loud sobs, unable to contain the pent up feelings. She cried for her lost son, for her found son, and for all of the time they never shared. John could do nothing else but hold her close and pray she would survive this a second time. He had been afraid he would lose her too after that night. He had nearly lost himself.

* * *

><p>I am absolutely amazed at all of the compliments I received from the last chapter! All of my newcomers are so sweet! I know I've said it time and time again, but I really do appreciate all of the comments and all of my readers who have stuck through my random month hiatuses. Thank you all so much!<p> 


	53. The End

Alright, here we go! This is the last chapter, the end of this behemoth! I sincerely apologize for the extended delay. I'm a bit excited, to say the least. This is my very first successful fanfic and it's actually _finished_. This is very new to me. I hope you all are satisfied with the ending.

Like I've said before, if you've received inspiration from this fic, you have my permission to write one shots, sequels, or "deleted chapters" if you so wish. Obviously this fic could have had so many outcomes and scenes that didn't get put in. For instance, Poison Ivy, Harley, and Catwoman were supposed to try to persuade Barbara to join their little rag tag group.

There were many other ideas that weren't put in, but please enjoy the ones that did!

I give you… **the end**.

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><p>Dick quietly rapped his knuckles on the wooden door to Damian's room where his siblings had continued to hole themselves up. He hoped the door was unlocked so he could at least say goodbye. Slowly, the door opened and he was greeted with Barbara's apathetic figure.<p>

"Hey, I'm leaving soon, so it's time for me to say goodbye."

"Shut the door Gordon." Damian ordered from inside, still extremely pissed off about earlier.

Barbara moved to do just that when Dick stuck his foot in between the door and the frame. She opened it back up a fraction only to slam it back, crushing his foot in the process. Dick grunted, but refused to move his foot.

"Wait, wait! C'mon, just let me say my peace!"

Barbara quirked an eyebrow and turned back to the hidden occupants of the room. "What do you think, should we let him?"

"Dismember his foot if you need to." Damian growled.

"Just let him talk." Tim sighed.

"Why? S'not like it's going to change much."

"I agree with Tim." Barbara stepped away from the door, allowing Dick to enter.

He breathed a small sigh of relief, but it quickly faltered when none of his siblings bothered to look at him. Biting his lip he struggled to remember what it was he was going to say. He'd never been so nervous before.

"Look, I know it sucks, but I have to go."

"Then go. Forget about us and move on with your pathetic little life." Damian snapped, chucking a kitten plush at him.

Dick caught the plush and smiled fondly at it. "It's hard for me too. I've never had any siblings before and you guys were the best I could have ever imagined."

Jason rolled his eyes and snarled. "Didn't you hear the brat? We aren't interested in some sappy speech. Just leave and get it over with."

"I'll find you. Each and every one of you. I'm going to find you and we'll be a family again. I'll be the older brother this time, so you'll have to listen to me. Babs, I'll try not to tease you so much, even if it is payback for when I was nine. Jay, I promise I'll cut up all of your cigarettes. Damian, I'm going to make sure you get a kitten. Tim, I guess I'll have to re-teach you how to hack, but what are older brothers for, right?"

For once no snarky remark was made. The bunch stayed quiet, listening to the promises Dick made. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a photo, corners folded over and a wrinkle through the middle.

"I didn't tell you cause it's embarrassing, but I still have that picture we took at Christmas. It's coming with me, so I'll hang up in my room. I know you think I'm just going to forget you, but I promise I'll bring us all together again. After all, we're brothers, right?" Dick paused. "Bruce has been training with Batman, so just watch out for him, okay? He's going to be learning right beside you, so make sure he's up to speed. Don't ever let each other cross the line, and make sure Joker stays locked up. I left all of my files here, so use them wisely."

Barbara took in a shaky breath and reached over, pulling him into a hug. "We're going to miss you."

"I know. I'm going to miss you guys too. Look after my parents, okay? The device is staying here, so make sure it's locked up somewhere safe. I'll check in from time to time with a note and some pictures. I'm sure you guys will want to see that I've found you."

Dick turned to leave, sending a smile at his brothers, who failed to reciprocate. He understood though, and closed the door behind him. His hand lingered on the handle for a moment before opening the door back up.

"Oh, and whatever you do, do _not_ let Batman kill Superman. Trust me, they don't get along."

Tim quirked an eyebrow and Dick sheepishly closed the door once more. He was three feet away when he furiously turned around and entered once more.

"I forgot to actually say goodbye… So I guess… goodbye."

"Are you ever going to leave?"

Dick barked out a laugh. "I don't know if I can. I'm really going to miss you guys."

"Go on, go." Damian urged with a wave of his hand. His tone held no bite and if Dick looked hard enough, he would notice a small smirk on his lips.

"See you around."

"Bye." Barbara watched him close the door once again.

"Bet you five bucks he comes back." Tim whispered to Jason.

The cocky teen grinned. "Done."

Five minutes passed, then ten, and then twenty. Reality began to sink in; Dick really wasn't coming back. A sick feeling sank into Tim's stomach. He should have at least hugged his brother goodbye. Maybe he could have said something. It reminded him a lot of death. Once someone was gone, there was no saying goodbye, no last hugs.

"I call the R-cycle." Jason declared loudly, jumping up and grabbing his crutches, aiming to exit the room.

"If you can find it!" Tim snarked, shoving him over and back onto the bed.

Jason cursed, struggling to regain leverage to pull himself back up, but Tim was already out the door, now competing with Barbara in a race to the Batcave. Jason hobbled out after them; if anything, he'd already called it.

Damian was left scowling on the bed, grabbing his pillow and chucking it at the door. The pillow hit an unexpected Kon, who was wandering the halls in hopes of finding Tim to cheer him up. Pillow in hand, Kon entered Damian's room.

"What was that for?"

"You put yourself in the line of fire." Damian shrugged.

"Where's Tim?"

"Wasting time with Gordon and Todd in an attempt to retrieve the R-Cycle."

"R-cycle?"

Damian sighed, growing irritated with the younger Kent. "Yes, the one he took to… DC…"

Damian smirked, he didn't need to move in order to claim the impressive homemade vehicle. Grayson had left it in DC when he had decided to hitch a ride on Kon back to the manor. His brothers were too dumb to figure it out. Grayson hadn't installed the necessary equipment to call it back home, either, so the three wouldn't be able to retrieve it that way either. He'd won.

"You aren't so useless after all, Kent." Damian declared.

Kon gave him a funny look before quickly exiting the room. That kid creeped him out to no end.

* * *

><p>Dick watched as Batman fired up the device. Three hours prior Batman had already tested the device, receiving a message back from the Justice League. Preparations had been made, and they were clear to return home. Glancing back at his ward, he noticed the small fists clenched up in anticipation.<p>

Wally patted Dick's back, trying to not to be too rough. "It's going to be fine."

"Yeah." Dick agreed, thought the waver in his voice was noted.

Dick glanced back at the manor; Bruce, Martha, Thomas, and Alfred were standing on the steps, all watching carefully. Bruce was clenching and unclenching his fists, rocking slightly back and forth as if to hold himself back. It was hard on Bruce too. The goodbye hadn't exactly been the easiest for the both of them, but each knew it had to be done.

Dick would never admit to sobbing, especially not to Wally, who had unintentionally eavesdropped. Bruce had sat through the poorly choked out apologies and "thank you"s, knowing that the only comfort he could provide was to hold Dick close and reassure him that they would all be fine. A hug from Martha and Thomas was the brief farewells from them.

Batman, on the other hand, had his own goodbye session with them while Dick was upstairs with his own parents. Alfred was another story. He simply offered his best wishes, struggling not to show any feelings. He was "only the butler after all". Dick had hugged him anyways, assuring him he was most definitely _not_ just a butler.

Here, standing at the brink of that window that had started it all, Dick was trying his hardest to swallow down a full blown panic attack. Batman shoved his heel into the glass, sending the shards first. A black glove was extended to Dick and hesitantly he took it. Very quickly, he took one more glance back at the family he had gained over the past year and offered a tiny, thankful smile. They returned the favor and he was pulled into the darkness within the window once more.

The landing was far more graceful than Young Justice's first trip through. Everyone had landed on their feet in the large room of the Watch Tower. Opening his eyes, Robin was surprised to see nearly all of the Justice League members in the room. The presence of all of them was nearly overwhelming. He hadn't expected such a gathering for his return. His jaw was slackened in awe before a body slammed into his, enveloping him in a tight embrace.

"I'm so glad you're safe!" Zatanna whispered in his ear.

He was momentarily blinded by her thick black hair, but he hugged back nonetheless. She pulled away after a moment and in her place was Artemis. She also went for a hug, her blonde hair pulled back and out of his face.

"Good to see you Robin."

"You too."

She pulled away and Batman urged his protégée to move forward and out of the room. He obeyed, exhausted from all of the emotional outbursts from the past couple of days. Superman and Wonder Woman took a step forward in an attempt to intervene, but Robin's shy declaration warded them off.

"I think I'm going to go home now."

It was the best decision he could think of at this point. While he would love to say hello to everyone again, he was just so worn down. Already he could feel the tension between Batman and the rest of the League and he didn't think he could handle it so soon. Batman agreed and shadowed him out of the crowd's line of sight.

This Watch Tower was quite different, the layout far more advanced, as well as the technology. The transporter didn't cause his teeth to vibrate and he was grateful. It was well past midnight, despite having been only slightly past noon back at the _other_ manor. Outside of the Hall of Justice was a single black limousine, two figures standing in front.

Dick felt the tears he'd thought he exhausted flood back. Diving into the arms of the old man he'd come to know as a grandfather, Dick wrapped his arms around the butler's neck. Alfred returned the embrace, taking in the scent of the boy he had been waiting to return home.

"We've suffered greatly through your absence."

Those words meant the world to Dick and he let go of a sob. From beside him, a soft hand was placed on his back, rubbing small circles. Babs smiled down at him.

"Welcome home Boy Wonder."

* * *

><p>"Grayson!" Damian hollered, voice reaching a pitch Dick never would have imagined. Something had off put the current Boy Wonder.<p>

"What?" Dick sighed, peeking into his own room, where the ten year old had been snooping.

A single picture was shoved into his face.

"Just what is this photo? I don't recall ever taking a picture with Drake or Todd! Why is Gordon not in her wheelchair and what on earth is Father doing _smiling_?" Damian's face scrunched up, severely disgusted by the notion of his late father ever having the emotion of happiness. The Waynes did not have time for happiness.

Dick grinned, grabbing the photo from him. "Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about this. Look at you, with your adorable little frown!"

"Shut up!" Damian snarled. "I asked you a question and I demand an answer!"

"You don't remember this? Gee, why am I not surprised? You've always blocked out memories of your brothers. Would it kill you to know you actually have a family?"

Damian huffed, stomping from the room. If Grayson insisted upon acting like a fool, he would not tolerate his presence any longer. It was hopeless to try and get an answer from the clown calling himself his "older brother". He would have preferred being an only child.

Dick smiled fondly at the photo before tucking it carefully back into a drawer. "I found you."

Damian froze outside of the room at the words. Just what had that meant? In any case, there was more to that photo than Damian had asked about. That boy wearing Grayson's old robin suit, for instance, and the appearance of his grandparents, long since dead.

Perhaps he couldn't wheedle out an answer from Dick, but surely Batman knew of this. There was a secret being kept and he did not appreciate it being kept from him.

* * *

><p>Two figures analyzed three young heroes loudly arguing over headcount. It seemed crime fighting was nothing more than a competition for the three boys, a measurement of genital size, for sure. Stephanie glanced over at her companion, a silent female.<p>

"What do you think Cass? Should we team up with them?"

Cassandra only shrugged, keeping her eyes trained on the three. Another figure swooped in, barking orders and cutting off the mindless bickering. Stephanie's lips quirked upwards.

"They sure seem interesting. The middle one is cute."

Cass didn't even bother shrugging. She wasn't so impressed. The man, however, drew her attention. There was something about him that seemed familiar. For once, she took her eyes off of the figures below and to her partner.

"Yes."

Stephanie's eyebrows shot up behind her mask. "Alright, we'll give it a go. We can always show them how real heroes handle Gotham scum."

The encounter would be interesting indeed.

* * *

><p>Fin!<p>

And that's that. So, I've got a bunch of questions to answer down here, so look for your name!

For those who informed me of the chapter mix up, thank you! I don't understand what happened, but it's fixed now. The revision process was frustrating.

**Your Local Cow **– I did NOT promise a sequel. While I've been toying with the idea, I haven't come up with a solid plot, so I don't know if I ever will. If anyone out there comes up with something, I'd love to read it! Feel free to write it!

I have, however, been trying to work out a Mental Hospital AU. Let me know if this sounds interesting or not. I've only been playing around for now, but it might turn into a full blown fic—definitely not as long as this one—in the future.

**Hane no Zaia –** Thank you so much! I was so tired of reading a lack of plot in the YJ section so I decided to write my own. I don't know if it's the best, though. **Skylark Evanson** has definitely given me a run for my money. If you haven't checked out her stuff, I seriously recommend you do!

**Comic-Surge** – Thank you! I'm actually working on a novel currently. Hopefully in the future I'll make it big. It's big game of chance though, so I'm not sure how I'll fair.

As for why I left Artemis out, as I'm sure more of you are also wondering, I wrote the beginning of this in August. Way back then Artemis was popularly branded as the mole. I left it open for the worst case scenario that she was indeed the mole. Zatanna wasn't even a part of the team until recently, so there's no way I could have included her in this (not much anyhow) since 4/5 of the story was written by then. I hope the scene with the two of them made up for it though. I think those two would definitely go at it if one pissed the other off. They are both rebellious and feisty.

Also, I find it funny that everyone hates "Hello, Megan!" when she's only said it maybe once in the entirety of the last ten episodes. I didn't think it was that annoying, either. If anything, Robin and his words has sort of been grating on my nerves. They make sure he says it every single episode he's in. Sometimes I think it makes him sound a little goofy, to be honest.

**Katiesparks -** I completely understand! As I said before, the need for something really great pushed me to write this. So I guess you can thank the mediocrity of the archive in August for that. Alternate Universes are hard things to tackle, but I hope I managed it alright. I did my best.

**Samian – **Thanks! I'm glad you felt the emotions. Sometimes I worry I'm the only one feeling it. Emotion I think is the hardest thing to put down on paper. It's easy to tell a story, but to manipulate the reader's emotions is tough.

Thank you again for reading and I look forward to posting more fics…. Soonish? I don't know when I'll get the time—probably not until after graduation.


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